Staying active is Magsayo’s priority

Former WBC featherweight champion Mark Magsayo is now campaigning in the lightweight division and in no rush for a title shot. His priority is staying active to get ready for the opportunity to fight for another belt whenever it comes.

“That’s where we’re going right now,” said MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons. “We’re not worried about belts, we’re worried about staying active and eventually, he’ll be the Zuffa champion which has a great ring to it.” Magsayo, 30, recently signed with Zuffa Boxing, a promotions company founded by Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White and Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh. MP Promotions and Zuffa are partnering to take Magsayo’s career to the next level.

Gibbons said the goal is for Magsayo to log three fights this year. Last weekend, he halted Irish Feargal McCrory at 0:21 of the fifth round in Meta Apex, a venue that’s a 15-minute drive from the center of the Las Vegas strip. It was Magsayo’s debut in the 135-pound ranks. After losing his WBC crown in 2022 and failing to beat Brandon Figueroa the next year, Magsayo moved up to superfeatherweight from featherweight. He won four fights in the 130-pound class then decided to invade the lightweights. Magsayo said he’s comfortable at 135 and didn’t struggle to make weight for McCrory, scaling 134 without difficulty.

At the moment, the world lightweight champions are IBF’s Raymond Muratalla, WBA’s Tank Davis (in recess), WBC’s Jadier Herrera (interim) and WBO’s Abdullah Mason. Magsayo is rated No. 5 by IBF and No. 12 by WBO. He’ll patiently climb up the ladder, confident of reaching the top. Davis is lined up to face Isaac (Pitbull) Cruz in a rematch at 140 pounds so it’s likely the WBA throne will be vacant. “Walang preference at kahit sino ang itapat sa akin, lalabanan ko,” said Magsayo from his Las Vegas home. “Perfect ang 135. Hindi ko alam ilan fights before a world title shot pero three fights ako this year. Back in the gym this week.”

McCrory, 33, went 16-0 to start his career and in March last year, survived a knockdown in the fourth round to drop Keenan Carbajal twice enroute to an eighth-round stoppage at Madison Square Garden. Against Magsayo, he was totally dominated. McCrory nearly fell from a right to the jaw late in the fourth round and his corner threw in the towel early in the fifth, prompting referee Robert Hoyle to wave it off. To his credit, McCrory never took a count and wanted to continue when Hoyle stopped it. But there was no way he could stem the tide. Magsayo raised his record to 29-2, with 19 KOs. This early, Magsayo has declared “I’m one of the best at 135” and it’s only the beginning.