Magsayo, a native of Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines who began his career at 126 pounds as a 17-year-old, and then won the WBC featherweight title from Gary Russell Jnr in 2022, had struggled mightily to make that weight for a decade, and still had to sacrifice to make the 130lbs limit, where he rose to become the No. 1 contender with the WBC. He elected to bypass an oft-postponed elimination bout against Michael Magnesi and move up to 135lbs, where he believes he’ll be able to perform at his best without feeling weakened by making weight.
