Light flyweight, also known as junior flyweight or super strawweight, is a weight class in boxing.
The weight limit at light flyweight in professional boxing is 108 pounds (49 kilograms). When New York legalized boxing in 1920, the law stipulated a "junior flyweight" class, with a weight limit of 99 pounds. When the National Boxing Association was formed in 1921, it also recognized this weight class. However, on January 19, 1922, the NBA decided to withdraw recognition of the junior flyweight division. On December 31, 1929, the New York State Athletic Commission also abolished the junior flyweight class. No champion had been crowned in this division prior to its abolition. [1]
The World Boxing Council (WBC) decided to resurrect this division in the 1970s. The first champion in this division was Franco Udella, who won the WBC title in 1975. The World Boxing Association also crowned its first champion in 1975, when Jaime Rios defeated Rigoberto Marcano via fifteen-round decision. The first International Boxing Federation champion was Dodie Boy Peñalosa, who won the belt in 1983.
The first light flyweight "superfight" took place on March 13, 1993, when Michael Carbajal, the IBF champion, knocked out WBC champion Humberto González to unify the championship. Their rematch, on February 19, 1994, was the first time a light flyweight fighter (Carbajal) made a million dollar purse.
Sanctioning body | Reign began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
---|---|---|---|---|
WBA | Vacant | |||
WBC | Vacant | |||
IBF | October 12, 2024 | Masamichi Yabuki | 17–4 (16 KO) | 0 |
WBO | October 13, 2024 | Shokichi Iwata | 14–1 (11 KO) | 0 |
As of October 14, 2024. [2]
Keys:
Rank | Name | Record | Title(s) |
---|---|---|---|
C | vacant | ||
1 | Masamichi Yabuki | 17–4 (16 KO) | IBF |
2 | Shokichi Iwata | 14–1 (11 KO) | WBO |
3 | Sivenathi Nontshinga | 13–2 (10 KO) | |
4 | Adrian Curiel | 24–6–1 (5 KO) | |
5 | Elwin Soto | 21–3 (13 KO) | |
6 | Carlos Cañizales | 27–2–1 (19 KO) | |
7 | Christian Araneta | 24–2 (19 KO) | |
8 | Thanongsak Simsri | 36–1 (33 KO) | |
9 | Regie Suganob | 15–1 (5 KO) | |
10 | Erick Rosa | 7–0 (2 KO) |
At the Summer Olympic Games, the division is defined as up to 49 kilograms.
Michael Carbajal is an American five-time world boxing champion of Mexican descent. His nickname was "Little Hands of Stone" after his favorite boxer, "Hands of Stone" Roberto Durán.
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above 115 lb (52.2 kg) and up to 118 lb (53.5 kg). In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between 53 and 55 kilograms. In MMA, bantamweight is 126–135 lb (57.2–61.2 kg).
Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Michael Carbajal vs. Humberto González I was a professional boxing match contested on March 13, 1993 at the Las Vegas Hilton for the IBF and WBC junior flyweight world championships. The fight made boxing history in many ways. While this pair of world champions fought three times, their first fight is the one that writers and fans usually remember with fondness.
Atagün Yalçınkaya is a Turkish boxer in the bantamweight (54 kg) division best known for winning the silver medal in the light-flyweight category at the 2004 Olympics.
Ricardo López Nava is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2001. He was a two-weight world champion, having held the WBC mini flyweight title from 1990 to 1998, defending it against a record-breaking 21 opponents; the WBA and WBO mini flyweight titles between 1997 and 1998; and the IBF junior flyweight title from 1999 until his retirement in 2001. He is one of just fifteen world boxing champions to retire without a loss. He is the father of undefeated former boxer Alonso López.
Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
Yan Barthelemy Varela is a Cuban-American amateur boxer, who won the gold medal in the light flyweight division at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Zou Shiming is a Chinese former boxer and two-time Olympic champion. In amateur boxing, he is China's most successful boxer of all time. In the light-flyweight division, he won three consecutive Olympic medals, as well as three World Amateur Boxing Championships gold medals in 2005, 2007 and 2011. He competed in professional boxing from 2013 to 2017 and held the WBO flyweight title from 2016 to 2017.
Pál Bedák is a boxer from Hungary best known for winning the silver medal at the 2005 World Championships. His elder brother Zsolt Bedák is a bantamweight boxer.
David Valeryevich Ayrapetyan is an Armenian-Russian amateur boxer. He is a six-time Champion of Russia, European Champion, World and Olympic medalist. Ayrapetyan was awarded the Honored Master of Sports of Russia title in 2009.
Sergey Kazakov is a Russian amateur boxer best known for winning the World Championships 2003 and European Championships 1998, 2002 and 2004 in the Men's Light Flyweight.
Pürevdorjiin Serdamba is a retired Mongolian amateur boxer. He won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in the junior flyweight division. He became the first Mongolian to win a gold medal at the World Amateur Boxing Championships in 2009.
The men's light flyweight event was part of the boxing programme at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The weight class was the lightest contested, and allowed boxers of up to 48 kilograms to compete. The competition was held from 28 August to 10 September 1972. 31 boxers from 31 nations competed.
The men's flyweight event was part of the boxing programme at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The weight class allowed boxers of up to 51 kilograms to compete. The competition was held from 27 August to 10 September 1972. 36 boxers from 36 nations competed.
The men's light flyweight event was part of the boxing programme at the 1976 Summer Olympics. The weight class was the lightest contested, and allowed boxers of up to 48 kilograms to compete. The competition was held from 19 to 31 July 1976. 27 boxers from 27 nations competed.
The men's light flyweight event was part of the boxing programme at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The weight class was the lightest contested, and allowed boxers of up to 48 kilograms to compete. The competition was held from 17 September to 1 October 1988. 34 boxers from 34 nations competed. 1980 bronze medalist Ivailo Marinov won the gold medal by controversially defeating young Michael Carbajal. There were suspicions of politics influencing the judges decision in the gold medal bout.