Jerwin Ancajas returned to Mexico on Sunday and left no doubt about where his career is heading.
The former IBF super flyweight world champion stopped Ruben Tostado in the third round in Tijuana—technically before the fourth round began, when Tostado chose not to leave his stool—to improve to 38–4–2 with 25 knockouts. It was Ancajas’ first fight in Mexico in seven years, the last having been a title defense against Miguel Gonzalez in Puebla.
Against Tostado, who was a late replacement for Mexican Rafael Rosas Ramirez, Ancajas looked like a man with something to prove.
From the opening bell, Ancajas controlled the fight with patience and precision, working the body and picking his moments carefully. The strategy paid off early. A clean left hand dropped Tostado in the first round. The Mexican got up and survived, but the tone had been set.
The second round brought more of the same—calm, deliberate work, body shots landing with regularity. In the third, Ancajas followed his gameplan to its logical conclusion. Another left hand sent Tostado to the canvas for the second time. When the round ended, Tostado’s corner made the decision for him, keeping him on his stool and bringing the fight to a close. Tostado drops to 28–17–1 with the loss.
What This Win Means for Ancajas
This result is Ancajas’ fourth consecutive victory since losing to Takuma Inoue in 2024—a defeat that could have derailed a career that had already endured more setbacks than most. Instead, the 34-year-old from Panabo, Davao del Norte has rebuilt quietly and methodically, stringing together wins that have kept him relevant to a degree.
Ancajas’ latest victory is also his first at featherweight, where he will try to climb the rankings again. Before moving up to 126, the Filipino pugilist ranked No. 7 in the WBO rankings and No. 10 in the IBF rankings in the super bantamweight division—a weight class now dominated at the very top by Naoya Inoue. That climb back to top-ten status, though, figures to be a tall task, but not necessarily impossible for a fighter who has already held a world title.
But that shouldn’t be the topic of conversation just yet. For now, it has to be about Ancajas’ streak. Four in a row. Twenty-five knockouts in all in a long career marked by setbacks here and there but full of highs nonetheless. This latest win, framed alongside the previous ones, proves that this former champion, who now sports a record of 38 wins, 4 losses, and 2 draws, is not finished.
Again, a title shot is a longshot at the moment, especially at featherweight. But maybe Ancajas can get there again eventually if he keeps winning like this.
