Light flyweight

Light flyweight, also known as junior flyweight or super strawweight, is a weight class in boxing.

Professional boxing

The weight limit at light flyweight in professional boxing is 108 pounds (49 kilograms). When New York legalized boxing in 1920, the law stipulated a "junior flyweight" class, with a weight limit of 99 pounds. When the National Boxing Association was formed in 1921, it also recognized this weight class. However, on January 19, 1922, the NBA decided to withdraw recognition of the junior flyweight division. On December 31, 1929, the New York State Athletic Commission also abolished the junior flyweight class. No champion had been crowned in this division prior to its abolition.^[1]

The World Boxing Council (WBC) decided to resurrect this division in the 1970s. The first champion in this division was Franco Udella, who won the WBC title in 1975. The World Boxing Association also crowned its first champion in 1975, when Jaime Rios defeated Rigoberto Marcano via fifteen-round decision. The first International Boxing Federation champion was Dodie Boy Peñalosa, who won the belt in 1983.

The first light flyweight "superfight" took place on March 13, 1993, when Michael Carbajal, the IBF champion, knocked out WBC champion Humberto González to unify the championship. Their rematch, on February 19, 1994, was the first time a light flyweight fighter (Carbajal) made a million dollar purse.

Current world champions

Main article: List of world light-flyweight boxing champions

Sanctioning body	Reign began	Champion	Record	Defenses
WBA	December 19, 2024	Erick Rosa	8–0 (2 KO)	0
WBC	December 26, 2024	Panya Pradabsri	43–2 (27 KO)	0
IBF		Vacant
WBO	March 13, 2025	René Santiago	14–4 (9 KO)	0

Current The Ring world rankings

As of April 21, 2025.^[2]

Keys:

 C  Current The Ring world champion

Rank	Name	Record	Title(s)
C	vacant
1	René Santiago	14–4 (9 KO)	WBO
2	Sivenathi Nontshinga	13–2 (10 KO)
3	Shokichi Iwata	14–2 (11 KO)
4	Carlos Cañizales	27–3–1 (19 KO)
5	Adrian Curiel	25–6–1 (5 KO)
6	Thanongsak Simsri	38–1 (34 KO)
7	Christian Araneta	25–2 (20 KO)
8	Regie Suganob	16–1 (6 KO)
9	Erick Rosa	8–0 (2 KO)	WBA
10	Panya Pradabsri	44–2 (27 KO)	WBC

Amateur boxing

At the Summer Olympic Games, the division is defined as up to 49 kilograms.

Olympic champions

• 1968 –  Francisco Rodríguez (VEN)
• 1972 –  György Gedó (HUN)
• 1976 –  Jorge Hernández (CUB)
• 1980 –  Shamil Sabirov (URS)
• 1984 –  Paul Gonzales (USA)
• 1988 –  Ivailo Marinov (BUL)
• 1992 –  Rogelio Marcelo (CUB)
• 1996 –  Daniel Petrov (BUL)
• 2000 –  Brahim Asloum (FRA)
• 2004 –  Yan Bartelemí Varela (CUB)
• 2008 –  Zou Shiming (CHN)
• 2012 –  Zou Shiming (CHN)
• 2016 –  Hasanboy Dusmatov (UZB)

European champions

• 1969 – György Gedó (HUN)
• 1971 – György Gedó (HUN)
• 1973 – Vladislav Sasypko (URS)
• 1975 – Aleksandr Tkachenko (URS)
• 1977 – Henryk Średnicki (POL)
• 1979 – Shamil Sabirov (URS)
• 1981 – Ismail Mustafov (BUL)
• 1983 – Ismail Mustafov (BUL)
• 1985 – René Breitbarth (GDR)
• 1987 – Nszan Munczian (URS)
• 1989 – Ivailo Marinov (BUL)
• 1991 – Ivailo Marinov (BUL)
• 1993 – Daniel Petrov (BUL)
• 1996 – Daniel Petrov (BUL)
• 1998 – Sergey Kazakov (RUS)
• 2000 – Valeriy Sydorenko (UKR)
• 2002 – Sergey Kazakov (RUS)
• 2004 – Sergey Kazakov (RUS)
• 2006 – David Ayrapetyan (RUS)
• 2008 – Hovhannes Danielyan (ARM)
• 2010 – Paddy Barnes (IRL)
• 2011 – Salman Alizade (AZE)
• 2013 – David Ayrapetyan (RUS)

Pan American champions

• 1971 – Rafael Carbonell (CUB)
• 1975 – Jorge Hernández (CUB)
• 1979 – Hector Ramírez (CUB)
• 1983 – Rafael Ramos (PUR)
• 1987 – Luis Román Rolón (PUR)
• 1991 – Rogelio Marcelo (CUB)
• 1995 – Edgar Velázquez (VEN)
• 1999 – Maikro Romero (CUB)
• 2003 – Yan Bartelemí Varela (CUB)
• 2007 – Luis Yáñez (USA)
• 2011 – Joselito Velázquez (MEX)

Notable light flyweights

• Iván Calderón
• Michael Carbajal
• Jung-Koo Chang
• Luis Estaba
• Leo Gamez
• Humberto González
• Yoko Gushiken
• Louisa Hawton
• Yuh Myung-woo
• Donnie Nietes
• Saman Sorjaturong
• Román González
• Naoya Inoue
• Ryoichi Taguchi
• Adrián Hernández
• Ricardo Lopez
• Franco Udella