GABRIEL Santisima from Cebu has entered the world boxing rankings after winning a regional title in Japan.
The 21-year-old boxer is now ranked No. 10 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and No. 14 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) in the super-bantamweight division.
The division is currently ruled by Japanese boxing star Naoya Inoue, who holds all four major world championship belts.
Santisima earned his place in the rankings after defeating highly rated Japanese fighter Subaru Murata on Feb. 7, 2026, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Entering the fight as a big underdog, Santisima surprised many fans by winning through a unanimous decision. He also captured the WBO Asia-Pacific super-bantamweight title in the process.
Before that victory, Santisima had bounced back from a loss to Chinese boxer Zhong Liu last year. He won two fights in a row against Ramel Antaran and Jason Mopon.
Those wins helped him earn a chance to face Murata, who was rising in the super-bantamweight division. Before their match, Murata was ranked No. 7 by the World Boxing Council (WBC).
During their fight, Santisima showed strong skills and even knocked Murata down once on his way to a big upset victory.
Santisima trains under coach Michael Domingo at the Zip-Sanman Wellness Center in Cebu City. He is also the younger brother of former ALA Boy and world title challenger Jeo Santisima. / EKA