Turning 38 years old in June, former two-time world boxing champion Luisito Espinosa is now the oldest active Filipino prizefighter.

The aging former WBA bantam and WBC feather champ Espinosa once again aims to prove that age hasn’t caught him up. According to Boxrec.com, Espinosa fights the much taller and younger Martin “El Brochas” Honorio of Tijuana, Mexico in ESPN 2-televised 10-round featherweight bout on February 18 in Stockton, California.

The Sacramento-based California State Athletic Commission (CSCA) approved the application of Realty magnate James Grunsky’s JG Promotions to set the bout at Stockton Civic Auditorium.

The 5-foot-7 Espinosa and the 24-year old and 5-foot-11 right-handed Honorio are coming off in technical knockout losses.

Espinosa lasted only in the 7th round to L.A-native lefty Carlos Navarro in front of a crowd estimated at 400 at the Reno Hilton Theater in Reno, Nevada last July 2003 for the vacant World Boxing Council Intercontinental Mundo Hispano junior lightweight title.

Honorio suffered a 4th round stoppage loss to ex- WBO featherweight title challenger William Abelyan of Armenia last November in Las Vegas’ Gold Coast Hotel & Casino.

Once described by WBC president Jose Sulaiman as “second best Filipino boxer of all time behind Gabriel "Flash" Elorde”, Espinosa failed five in his last eight bouts, including the controversial unanimous decision loss in a rematch against Mexican Cesar Soto in May 1999 at Texas’s Equestrian Center where he loss the WBC featherweight title.

Espinosa’s latest victories, two against Mexicans, were all via short routes, a 4th round knockout of Ramon Aragon in Oct. 2000 in Auburn Hill, Michigan and first round stoppage of former WBC Fecarbox Super Featherweight boss Marco Angel Perez in March 2003 in Oakland, California.

His 2nd round knockout win in May 2002 over ex-IBF and WBA feather title challenger Ever Beleno of Colombia in the main event of the maiden installation of Oscar De La Hoya under his Golden Boy Promotions as promoter was the most impressive.

Espinosa, fighting for 20 years now, sports a 47-12 win-loss-draw record with 26 knockouts. Honorio, who started his campaign in the paid ranks three months after Espinosa’s lost to Soto, holds a 17-3, 12 KO’s mark.

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