The World Boxing Association has formally granted a special permit to its reigning WBA Super Flyweight World Champion, David Jiménez of Costa Rica, authorizing him to perform a voluntary title defense against Japan’s Seigo Yuri Akui. The championship contest is scheduled to take place on November 29 in Tokyo, Japan, allowing the Costa Rican titleholder to bring his crown to East Asia for a high-profile international defense before addressing his mandatory obligations in the 115-pound division.
The sanctioning body’s executive ruling comes after a formal administrative process initiated earlier in the fall. The initial petition seeking approval for the voluntary defense was officially submitted to the World Boxing Association on September 22 by Teiken Promotions, acting on behalf of Jiménez. The request sought clearance to stage the championship event in Tokyo against Akui, a prominent Japanese challenger, outside the strict timeline of standard mandatory defense rotations.
Upon receiving the filing from Teiken Promotions, the World Boxing Association duly notified Golden Boy Promotions, the promotional entity representing mandatory challenger John Ramírez. Golden Boy Promotions formally lodged an opposition to the special permit request on behalf of their fighter. The opposition was grounded in the established procedural framework, pointing out that an official negotiation window had already been initiated and was actively underway for the mandatory world title showdown between Jiménez and Ramírez. Golden Boy argued that granting a voluntary defense would unduly delay Ramírez’s rightfully earned opportunity to challenge for the full world title.
In response to the formal objection, the World Boxing Association Championship Committee conducted a thorough review of the legal and procedural arguments presented by both promotional camps. The committee examined the documentation alongside the governing provisions laid out in the official sanctioning body rules and regulations. Following this extensive deliberation, the organization determined that its governing statutes provide explicit authority to modify mandatory defense deadlines and grant special permits when justified by specific, compelling circumstances in the sport.
While approving the voluntary defense for Jiménez in Tokyo, the sanctioning body established strict, binding parameters to ensure that mandatory challenger John Ramírez is not unfairly marginalized by the delay. Under the terms set forth in the official decision, the ultimate winner of the November 29 contest between Jiménez and Akui will be legally bound to face Ramírez in a mandatory title defense within 120 days following the conclusion of the Tokyo bout.
The sanctioning body also accounted for potential drawing scenarios inside the ring. In the event that the championship fight between Jiménez and Akui ends in a draw, Jiménez will retain his status as the WBA Super Flyweight World Champion, but he will remain bound by the identical mandatory requirement. Under those specific conditions, Jiménez would still be required to fulfill his mandatory obligation against Ramírez within the same 120-day timeframe from the date of the Tokyo fight.
To further accommodate the mandatory challenger during this interim period, the World Boxing Association concurrently issued authorization for Ramírez to take part in an independent contest without a world title on the line. This provision permits Ramírez to maintain his fight sharpness, stay active, and secure financial compensation in a non-title bout while awaiting the outcome of the November 29 clash in Japan and the subsequent fulfillment of his mandatory position.
The current landscape of the WBA 115-pound division is the result of a series of significant developments over the past two years, marked by key ring performances and shifts in champion status. Jiménez’s path to becoming the full WBA Super Flyweight World Champion reached a major milestone on June 10, 2026, when he was officially elevated to full world champion status by the sanctioning body. This elevation occurred after former champion Jesse "Bam" Rodríguez made the decision to vacate the WBA super flyweight title in order to move up to the bantamweight division, leaving the world title vacant and paving the way for Jiménez to assume the primary throne.
Prior to his elevation to full world champion, Jiménez had already secured his position at the top of the sanctioning body’s rankings through ring success. On April 20, 2024, Jiménez squared off against John Ramírez in Brooklyn, New York, in a crucial bout for the vacant WBA interim super flyweight title. In that high-stakes matchup, Jiménez turned in a disciplined and effective performance over twelve rounds, defeating Ramírez by unanimous decision on American soil to capture the interim belt.
Following his victory over Ramírez in Brooklyn, Jiménez solidified his standing as the division’s interim monarch by successfully defending the WBA interim super flyweight title on two separate occasions. Those two successful title defenses demonstrated his stability and capability at the world-class level, keeping him at the forefront of the division during the period prior to Jesse Rodríguez vacating the primary title.
The impending November 29 fight in Tokyo represents a major cross-cultural event for the super flyweight class, matching Costa Rica’s leading champion against a formidable Japanese opponent on his home turf. For Teiken Promotions, securing the special permit allows them to bring a major international title fight to the Japanese boxing market, while Golden Boy Promotions has successfully guaranteed a clear, time-bound path for Ramírez to seek redemption against the man who handed him a decision loss in Brooklyn.
The regulatory resolution issued by the World Boxing Association balances the commercial and athletic opportunities presented by an international championship defense in Tokyo against the structural integrity of mandatory challenger rights. By establishing a firm 120-day window following the November fight, the sanctioning body has set a definitive timeline for the division’s top fighters to consolidate the championship structure.
The World Boxing Association emphasized in its formal documentation that the permission granted for the November 29 event remains strictly subject to full compliance with all standard sanctioning regulations, medical protocols, and contractual obligations required by the organization. Any failure to adhere to these standardized procedures by the involved parties could impact the official sanctioning status of the bout or the mandatory directives that follow.
As the November 29 event in Tokyo approaches, all parties in the 115-pound division now operate under a clear regulatory framework. Jiménez prepares for his voluntary title defense against Akui in Japan, while Ramírez prepares for a non-title appearance with the guarantee of a mandatory world championship opportunity waiting for him within four months of the Tokyo main event.
