Jose Salas and Landile Ngxeke will meet in Mexico City on December 13 with the vacant IBF bantamweight title on the line, stepping in after Junto Nakatani vacated his Ring, IBF and WBC 118-pound belts to move up to junior featherweight. With the IBF’s No. 1 and No. 2 spots currently unfilled, No. 3 contender Salas and No. 4 contender Ngxeke have been approved to fight for the championship.
Salas (16-0, 10 KOs) has been building steady momentum since turning professional in 2020. The 23-year-old Mexican southpaw announced himself on the world stage by handing Prince Dzanie his first defeat in April 2023. He followed that up with a standout win over former world title challenger Aston Palicte, stopping him in four rounds on the Terence Crawford–Errol Spence undercard. Three more victories since then have solidified his rise through the rankings.
Ngxeke (16-1-1, 8 KOs), meanwhile, brings experience and resilience into the biggest fight of his career. The South African debuted in 2018 with a draw against future IBF 115-pound champion Phumelela Cafu and collected the African junior bantamweight and South African national titles early in his career. Despite a setback against the hard-hitting Jayr Raquinel in 2022, the 30-year-old has rejuvenated himself at bantamweight, winning seven straight to earn this title opportunity.
Fight card:
▪️Jose Salas Reyes vs. Landile Ngxeke, 12 rounds, for the vacant IBF World bantamweight title
