Mike Plania visits Plant City to challenge former super bantamweight world champion Angelo Leo in the main event of the coming Wednesday Night Fights, live and exclusive on ProBox TV.
The Filipino, 26, fights for the 10th time in the US. A defeat on his American debut, by Juan Carlos Payano in 2018, was followed by an impressive 11-fight winning streak that included victories over Giovanni Gutierrez and Joshua Greer Jnr and came to an end when he fought Ra'eese Aleem in Los Angeles in 2022. He then suffered his first knockout defeat, against Elijah Pierce last August in Atlanta, before in December stopping Daniel Nicholas in his home country.
“This is my first real fight at 126 pounds,” Plania told ProBox TV. “This is a great opportunity for me.
"My boss told me about the fight at this weight. I said it was okay. I think I will feel better at this weight — featherweight. I feel better, for it is good — I don’t have too much of a drain [on my body]. We trained in Miami for three weeks ahead of this fight.
"I want to thank everyone in my team, everybody at ProBox and the promoter [Garry Jonas]. This fight is a great opportunity. I am very excited.
“Angelo Leo, I respect him. He is a good American fighter; a former world champion. I'm lucky to fight him. It will be an honour for me to be in the ring with him. This is my biggest fight because I want to prove myself in boxing. Maybe on Wednesday you will see some magic.”
Plania (29-3, 16 KOs) turned professional aged 16, and his career has since unfolded in the Philippines and America.
“Where I come from, many people fight because of Manny [Pacquiao], but for me I do it because I love this sport,” Plania explained. “Manny is my idol, but this is my job, which I love, so I do my best.
"I started when I was 16, sparring to earn some money for the family, just to get things like food, which can be difficult in the Philippines. So I started boxing to make some money and provide for my family.”
