Former world champion John Riel Casimero will return to action in May when he takes on Namibia’s Fillipus Nghitumbwa at Okada Manila.

Casimero’s new promoter, Treasure Boxing Promotions, announced the development over the weekend. The bout will take place on May 13 in what will be Casimero’s first fight on home soil since 2019, when he knocked out Cesar Ramirez Lora at the San Andres Civic & Sports Center in Manila.

It will be Casimero’s first fight of 2023, with Nghitumbwa’s WBO global super bantamweight title on the line.

The 34-year-old Filipino boxer last fought in December 2022, where he defeated Ryo Akaho via stoppage.

Casimero will bring an eight-fight winning streak into May’s bout, highlighted by his stoppage of Zolani Tete in November 2019 that earned him the WBO world bantamweight belt.

Meanwhile, Nghitumbwa has a 12-1 win-loss record. He has won his last 12 fights since dropping his professional debut in September 2017. The bout against Casimero will mark his first fight outside of his home country.

Casimero (32-4, 22 KOs) has held world titles in junior flyweight, flyweight and bantamweight. (ABS-CBN News)