The Philippine’s current World Boxing Foundation International champions will have non-title bouts against separate formidable Mongolian challengers on March 8.

Promoter Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde announced yesterday the scheduled 10-round fight of flyweight Sukarno Banjao and welterweight Rey Pelonia. The venue in the Philippines will be announced soon.

The Cadiz City-raised Banjao, nicknamed by this writer “Master Showman”, takes on former Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA) light-flyweight boss Yura Dima while Pelonia faces two-time Korean champion Kim Baira, whose real name is Gumbat Bayartogtokh Kim.

This is the first time in history that Mongolian makes a ring appearance in the Philippines.

Baira, a 24-year old native of Ulan Bator, Mongolia, is currently the Korean welterweight champ with 17-3, 15 KOs. He was a former Mongolian light welterweight champ, Korean lightweight boss and World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth lightweight king.

Baira tasted his first defeat in May 2001 via 4th round knockout to Ki-Dong Kang for the Korean lightweight title. His other two loses came from his three outings in the United States in 2003.

Dima, a 26-year old southpaw held the PABA 112-lb belt after he outclassed Thailand’s Phises Vor Surapol in China in August 1998. His last title defense was against former IBF minimumweight champ Ratanapol Sor Vorapin also of Thailand in November 1999.

Banjao and Pelonia defended their titles for the first time last November, two months after they captured the vacant belts.

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