Former super-flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas has arrived in Zuffa Boxing ready to embark on a new chapter, in a new weight class, but his ultimate goal remains the same – to become a world champion once again. Ancajas had a near-six-year run as a 115-pound champion between 2016 and 2022, and now, as he prepares for his 45th professional fight, he’s ready to stake his claim for a shot at championship glory in Zuffa Boxing. “It means a great deal for me to be here at Zuffa Boxing,” he said during fight week in Las Vegas. "Because I know that it's a bunch of great fighters that are picked to be a part of it. It’s an honor for me to be chosen.”

 

 

 

Ancajas has now moved all the way up to 126 pounds. The latest weight gain came after being stopped by Japan’s Takuma Inoue in February 2024, he made the decision to move up again.  “I accept that (Inoue) was the better fighter at that time,” he admitted. “I’m making no excuses, whether it was the weight or any other reason. I’m just ready to move on now.”

 

Now that Ancajas has settled on featherweight as his new weight class, he’ll make his promotional debut on Sunday night at Zuffa Boxing 08, where he’ll take on the undefeated Omar Trinidad at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. For the 34-year-old, it’s a chance to kickstart a new chapter in his career as he looks to fight his way to Zuffa Boxing gold in the 126-pound division. "I feel really strong and comfortable in this weight class, so this is where we’re going to continue moving forward,” he explained. “It means a great deal to be able to move up to this weight class, because it’s very comfortable for me, compared to when I had to make the previous weight limit. Now I’m much more comfortable.”

 

For a fighter who has already reached the summit of world boxing, Ancajas is looking to make his career even more special by scaling the mountain again, at a different weight class, with Zuffa Boxing. For him, the thought of bringing another world championship belt back to his homeland represents the ultimate achievement.

 

“I started boxing at a very young age, and one of my greatest achievements so far is when I held the world championship from 2016 all the way to 2022,” he explained. “I want to hold a championship belt here in Zuffa Boxing for my fans in the Philippines, and I hope my Filipino fans will support me.

 

“To bring another world title back to the Philippines would be a very big deal. I know my team, and I have worked so hard, so it would mean a lot to be able to win this fight on Sunday and then have another chance at a world title that I can bring back to the Philippines as a Filipino world champion.”

 

That road to a Zuffa Boxing belt starts Sunday, where he’ll have to hand Trinidad the first defeat of his career. Ancajas and his team are well-versed in preparing for top-level opposition, and he said he’s ready to deliver on fight night. "Omar Trinidad is a strong, aggressive fighter, but I have the upper hand in terms of my experience and my team,” he said. “We have a game plan ready for him, and you’ll see this Sunday.”