Kenneth Llover to battle former two-division champ in Manila

Unbeaten bantamweight prospect Kenneth Llover is slated to strut his wares in front of his countrymen when he takes on the two-division former champion Luis Concepcion of Panama on August 17 at Winford Resort and Casino in Manila.

Llover, 14-0 with 9 knockouts, is coming off back-to-back first-round stoppages over Tulio Dekanarudo and Keita Kurihara in Japan. The wins made Llover one of the hottest boxing prospects from the Philippines, earning him the No. 9 spot in The RING’s bantamweight ranking.

“I am excited to fight in front of my kababayans again. Luis Concepcion is a warrior; he is aggressive and experienced. I expect him to bring the fight. This is going to be an explosive night," said Llover.

Llover’s promoter, Gerry Peñalosa of Gerrypens Promotions, sees Concepcion as the most decorated opponent yet in Llover’s young career. He says Concepcion, 40-11 with 29 knockouts, brings the heat every time he’s atop the ring, and he expects just that on fight night.

"Concepcion is a two-division world champion and the most decorated foe yet for Llover. He brings a wealth of experience with over 50 fights. This bout will show how ready Llover is for the next level. Fans can’t miss this one," said Peñalosa.

The showdown will be co-promoted by Japan’s Kameda Promotions, led by ex-world champ Koki Kameda, who is set to travel to the Philippines to witness the action firsthand.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News