Christian Araneta can now sit back and wait to see who he next gets to challenge for his first major title fight.
The resurgent Filipino junior flyweight punched his way into title contention with a first-round knockout of Arvin Margramo. Araneta scored two knockdowns, the latter which produced the ending at 1:50 into the opening round of their IBF junior flyweight title eliminator Friday in his hometown of Cebu, Philippines.
Araneta is now the mandatory challenger in waiting for the Adrian Curiel-Sivenathi Nontshinga IBF junior flyweight title fight rematch on February 16 in Oaxaca, Mexico.
The all-Filipino title eliminator saw Araneta jump out to an explosive start. Magramo quickly found himself on the defensive and was unable to fend off his countryman. Araneta connected with an uppercut to send Magramo to the canvas for the first time in the brief affair.
Magramo (17-2-1, 11KOs) beat the count but was unable to avoid the inevitable. Araneta went right back on the attack and closed the show moments later. A left hand and right hook put Magramo back down on the deck, after which point referee Danrex Tapdasan stopped the fight.
Araneta (24-2, 19KOs) won his fifth straight bout. His last defeat came in a narrow split decision at the hands of Nontshinga in their April 2021 title eliminator. Nontshinga went on to win the IBF junior flyweight title in his next fight but lost the belt in his first defense in a stunning first-round knockout to Mexico City’s Curiel (24-4-1, 5KOs) last November in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
The IBF approved an immediate rematch, though the Curiel-Nontshinga winner can expect to be ordered to next face Araneta in a mandatory title defense.
Araneta’s only other defeat came in a September 2019 fourth-round stoppage to Monterrey’s Daniel Valladares, who later went on to win the IBF strawweight title.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox