Sivenathi Nontshinga will enter his second consecutive rematch.

The Ring has confirmed that the IBF has called for a mandatory junior flyweight title fight between South Africa’s Nontshinga and the Philippines’ Christian Araneta. Both sides were notified by the sanctioning body on Tuesday to begin the negotiation period.

“IBF Jr. Flyweight Champion Sivenathi Nontshinga mandatory defense is due on or before May 4, 2024,” IBF Championship Committee chairman Carlos Ortiz told both parties in an official letter obtained by The Ring. “The leading available contender is #1 Christian Araneta.

“Negotiations should commence immediately and be concluded by April 4, 2024. If you are unable to come to an agreement for this bout within 30 days, the IBF will call for a purse bid.”

Nontshinga (13-1, 10 knockouts), The Ring’s No. 2-rated junior flyweight, is promoted by Matchroom Boxing. Araneta (24-2, 19 KOs) is represented by Pio Castillo of Omega Boxing Promotions.

The mandated title fight will serve as a rematch roughly three years after their first meeting. Nonthshinga survived a final round score to win their April 2021 IBF title eliminator via unanimous decision. He would go on to win the belt for the first of two times in his next fight.

Nontshinga regained the belt with a dramatic, tenth-round knockout of Adrian Curiel to conclude their February 15 rematch in Oaxaca, Mexico. Their instant classic saw the 25-year-old from Reeston, S. Africa rally to drop and eventually stop The Ring’s No. 3-rated Curiel (24-5-1, 5 KOs) to avenge his lone career defeat.

Nontshinga was halted in the opening round in their first meeting last November 4 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The defeat ended his first IBF title reign dating back to his thrilling Sept. 2022 split decision victory over then-unbeaten Hector Flores Calixto in Hermosillo, Mexico.

Araneta entered the queue when he knocked out Arvin Magramo in their all-Filipino title eliminator. The 28-year-old southpaw scored two knockdowns in a first-round knockout victory on January 24 in his Cebu hometown. The win was his fifth in a row since his defeat to Nontshinga. All but one during that stretch have inside the distance.

Both fighters are now committed to honor the negotiation process. IBF Rule 5.D.(b) cites:

“A Champion’s failure to comply with this obligation will be sufficient cause to have the Championships Committee and Board of Directors consider withdrawing recognition of the title.

” If the mandatory challenger agrees to fight the Champion and they are unable to negotiate the terms of the bout within thirty (30) days, they have the obligation to proceed to a purse bid under the procedure set forth in Rule 10.

‘The Challenger’s failure to comply with this rule will result in the Championships Committee recognizing the next leading available contender as the mandatory challenger and moving the challenger to a position below #10 in the rankings for at least 6 months.”

Nontshinga was prepared to enter this fight, to where he knew to envision unification matches further down the road. Japan’s Kenshiro Teraji (23-1, 14 KOs) is the Ring, WBC and WBA champion. Puerto Rico’s Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez, No. 1 at 108, recently defended the WBO title. His desire to fight either will remain parked until he is able to settle matters with his latest familiar foe.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writer Association of America.
Follow @JakeNDaBox

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