Vincent Astrolabio set to make ring return in February homecoming bout

Two-time bantamweight title challenger Vincent Astrolabio will return to the ring for the first time since his defeat to Junto Nakatani in July when he fights Prasitsak Phaprom in the Philippines on February 15.

The 27-year-old Astrolabio has had a turbulent professional career, suffering three early defeats at regional level before he turned 22. In April 2019 the Filipino sprung an upset on away soil, stopping the unbeaten Patrick Liukhoto in Jakarta, Indonesia to win the WBO Oriental title. Following this Astrolabio continued his winning run, before meeting former unified champion Guillermo Rigondeaux in Dubai in February 2022. Astrolabio would take a 95-94 (x3) unanimous decision over the iconic Cuban, with an eighth-round knockdown proving key to him securing a win.

Astrolabio would then follow this victory with a stoppage win over Nikolai Potapov before the first world title opportunity of his career came against tough Australian Jason Moloney in May 2023. Moloney would that night outbox Astrolabio and take a majority decision victory.

Astrolabio would go straight into a WBC eliminator bout after defeat to Moloney and this led to him fighting Thailand’s Nawaphon Sor Rungvisai in Bangkok. The two stood toe to toe for the first 10 rounds before Astrolabio eventually overwhelmed Rungvisai in Round 11 to take a TKO victory

After waiting almost 11 months for his shot at the title, Junto Nakatani made short work of Astrolabio, stopping him with a perfectly placed left hand to the body just two minutes and 37 seconds into the bout.

Astrolabio has been a road warrior in his career, fighting in eight different countries in his 24 bouts. The fight against Phaprom will be his first in his native Philippines since February 2021.