Magnifico will be looking to be magnificent again soon.
Mark Magsayo is officially moving up in weight.
The former WBC featherweight champion will be competing in the junior lightweight division the next time he enters the ring, at that could happen either on September or October, according to MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons.
Magnifico had earlier intimated on Twitter his plans to move to a higher weight class after campaigning in the 126-pound division for a full decade.
And, it appears the move to 130 pounds has been a long time coming, especially after Magsayo’s struggles to make the featherweight limit in his fight versus Brandon Figuero back in March.
“The weight took a little bit out of him,” Gibbons told ProBox TV News. “So, he is going to return in September or October at 130 [lbs].”
When he returns to action, Magsayo will look to break his two-fight losing streak, first against Rey Vargas, where he relinquished his WBC featherweight title, and then to Figueroa, where the Filipino prize fighter also lost the opportunity to have a rematch with Vargas.
According to Gibbons, Magsayo’s move up to junior lightweight is a chance for the Filipino to regroup after three consecutive hard fights.
“Mark had an unbelievably tough year-and-a-half,” said Gibbons. “He beat Gary Russell Jr., arguably [the] number 1 featherweight in the world, then he had to fight the worst guy ever in the world, Rey Vargas, and he gave a heck of a [fight] to Brandon Figueroa.”
Not that Magsayo will be taking an easy fight. In fact, the opposite is true, with Gibbons categorically stating that the 27-year-old fighter will be “looking for the biggest and best fights at [130 lbs].”
That would mean potential fights against Hector Luis Garcia, O’Shaquie Foster, and even Russell, who already has plans to move up as well.