Chinese hard-hitter Dianxing Zhu earned his world title shot after defeating hometown bet Ian Abne by unanimous decision in a grueling International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight world title eliminator in the main event of Fistco and Chao Sy International Promotions' "Fist of Fury X- The Eliminator" last Saturday night, May 9, 2026, at the iconic Cebu Coliseum.
Fight Recap
Zhu and Abne immediately went toe-to-toe in the opening round and traded heavy bombs. Zhu's punches finally hurt Abne in the sixth round after sending him to the canvas. Zhu dropped Abne for the second time in the eighth round. The 26-year-old Abne showed a ton of heart and continued to exchange punches with Zhu, who finished the fight with a grotesquely huge swelling on his forehead.
Japanese judge Katsuhiko Nakamura saw Zhu winning by a huge margin with a score of 116-110, while Thai judges Sanong Aumim and Kriengsak Thonghong had it a little bit closer with scores of 115-111 and 114-112, respectively.
World Title Shot
Zhu now earned the right to face IBF minimumweight king Pedro Taduran, who sat at ringside and was impressed with what he saw. "It was a good fight. They are both very tough," said Taduran. "He will be my next opponent. He's now No. 1. My coach and I will study him and see what we will do in that fight."
Controversy
Robin Wong, Zhu's manager, complained about Abne's dirty tactics by using his head as a weapon against his 29-year-old ward. "The Philippine opponent is not a real fighter. He used dirty techniques. You should use your punch, not your head," said Wong. "Dianxing Zhu is always a gentleman inside the ring. This was the first time that he was angry."
Fight Records
Zhu improved to 17-1 with 14 knockouts, while Abne suffered his first career loss and dropped to 12-1-2 with four knockouts.
Other Bouts
In the event's two main featured bouts, Jemuel Aranas and John Paul Gabunilas walked away with stoppage wins. Aranas (9-3-1, 5 KOs) bagged the vacant World Boxing Foundation (WBF) Silver flyweight belt with a third-round knockout of Jeric Noynay (5-3, 1 KO). Meanwhile, Gabunilas (11-4, 8 KOs) had a successful comeback following a two-year layoff with an impressive fourth-round technical knockout of Ramil Roda (7-4-2, 4 KOs) to snag the vacant Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) super-flyweight strap.
Undercard Results
- Chinese Aqoian Li (1-0) had a successful pro debut with a unanimous decision win over Jerson Baclohan (0-2).
- Mark Sabang (6-2-1, 3 KOs) defeated previously unbeaten Jubert Cahimat (4-1, 1 KO) by split decision.
- Jony Mar Loreno (3-0-1, 1 KO) walked away with a majority decision victory against Kei Mark Akut (2-5-1, 2 KOs).
- Marlon Alejandro (7-11-2, 1 KO) had a rare victory with a split decision over Carl Penedo (2-1, 1 KO).
- Justine Trazo (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Conrad Jason Agujar (0-6) in the first round.
- Venance Dances (1-0) won his first fight as a pro with a split decision against Norman Rusiana (1-11-2).
