BY all indications, there’s another mismatch in the offing when the Philippines’ Romart Sentillas, whose fight record according to boxrec.com is 6-2 with 4 knockouts, faces former world minimum weight champion Katsunari Takayama, who has fought some of the best in the minimum weight division and has a record of 22-3 with 9 knockouts.

Takayama is currently rated no. 3 by the World Boxing Association in the minimum weight division and no. 2 by the World Boxing Council in the straw weight.

The bout is scheduled to take place at the World Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan, on March 12.

The 25-year-old Takayama has impressive credentials compared to Sentillas, who lost his last two fights according to boxrec. He suffered a third-round TKO to Johnreil Casimero last July 17 and then dropped a 10-round unanimous decision to Jetli Purisma on Dec. 16.

Takayama, on the other hand, won the WBC minimum weight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over the heavy-handed but slower Isaac Bustos, but lost it to Japan-based Thai Eagle Den Junlaphan, who used the ring name Eagle Kyowa and had beaten Filipino Rodel Mayol on points to retain his title on May 6, 2006.

Takayama won the WBA minimum weight interim title with a ninth-round technical decision over Carlos Melo on Nov. 7, 2006 but lost a close split decision to fellow Japanese and world champion Yutaka Niida in a title fight on April 17, 2007.

In his last bout, Takayama scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Javier Murillo on Sept. 22, 2008.

The Japanese has beaten three Filipinos scoring a 10-round unanimous decision over veteran Fabio Marfa on Oct. 6, 2007 and previously beating Rollen del Castillo and Elmer Gejon. Ronnie Nathanielsz