Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor


A blockbuster world title night at the lower end of the weight scale takes place tonight as WBC super-bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka meets former belt holder Rafael Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The 35 year-old title holder has held the belt since January 2009, making five successful defences but will now put the title on the line outside his native Japan for only the second time after four straight home wins.

The Tokyo-based fighter travelled to Mexico in his first title defence against Jhonny Gonzalez in May 2009, scoring a spectacular third stoppage and now fights in Las Vegas for the third time, where he holds a 100% knockout record.

A win for Nishioka is rumoured to be enough to seal an Asian super-fight with bantamweight king Nonito Donaire in 2012.

Opponent Marquez, 36, held Nishioka’s title briefly between March and August 2007, losing out to Israel Vasquez in the second fight of their trilogy.

The younger brother of Juan Manuel Marquez now takes part in his 13th world title fight after losing out to Juan Manuel Lopez in November 2011 over eight rounds for the WBO featherweight title.

Also on the card, WBA light-flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez defends his title for the third time against Omar Soto as the unbeaten 24 year-old looks for his 30th career victory.

‘El Chocolatito’ has 24 stoppages in his 29 wins and comes into the MGM Grand date on the back of a seventh round TKO win over Omar Salado in what will be his first US fight.

Soto, 31, has seven losses in his 31 contests and has failed twice previously to claim a world title at flyweight and minimumweight.