Two IBF championship fights are set for June 6 at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan, as Masamichi Yabuki meets Rene Calixto and Willibaldo Garcia defends against Andrew Moloney in a high-stakes doubleheader.
In the main event, three-time, two-division world champion Masamichi Yabuki (19-4, 18 KOs) makes the second defense of his IBF flyweight title. Yabuki captured the belt with a late stoppage of Angel Ayala Lardizabal on March 25. He followed it up with another dramatic finish, knocking out Felix Alvarado in the final round of his first defense last December.
He has built a reputation as a dangerous finisher at world level, with power carrying deep into fights and multiple late stoppage wins in championship bouts.
Rene Calixto (24-1-1, 10 KOs) gets another opportunity to become a world champion after coming up just short in a competitive rivalry with Willibaldo Garcia. Calixto dropped a split decision in their rematch in May 2025 following a draw in their first meeting for the vacant IBF title in 2024. He returned in December with a fourth-round stoppage of Ruben Lezama Gonzalez to get back in the win column.
In the co-feature, IBF junior bantamweight champion Willibaldo Garcia (23-6-2, 13 KOs) makes his first defense after a turbulent year. The 36-year-old was originally scheduled to defend against Kenshiro Teraji last December, but the bout was canceled due to illness and never rescheduled.
Garcia now faces mandatory challenger Andrew Moloney (28-4, 18 KOs), a former WBA champion and experienced contender at elite level.
Garcia’s path to a world title has been built on persistence after early defeats, including losses to Alexandro Santiago and Paul Butler. He rebuilt with an unbeaten run that earned him a title shot, eventually capturing IBF gold after a series of closely contested fights. He now returns to defend his belt after a year away from the ring.
Moloney, a former Commonwealth Games gold medalist, has repeatedly competed at world level, facing elite names such as Joshua Franco, Junto Nakatani, and Pedro Guevara. While he has fallen short in several title opportunities, he remains firmly in the championship picture and has earned another shot at world honors.
