Two recently crowned titleholders at junior flyweight hope to meet in the coming months.

The Ring has confirmed that talks are ongoing between the respective camps for Erick Rosa and Masamichi Yabuki in what would represent a WBA/IBF 108-pound unification bout. Neither fighter has yet to make a title defense of the belts they won in 2024’s fourth quarter; rather, they have set their sights on each other.

Japan’s Yabuki (17-4, 16 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 1 junior flyweight and reigning IBF titleholder. The 2024 Comeback of the Year nominee is guided by Kameda Promotions, headed by former three-division titlist Koki Kameda.

Dominican Republic’s Rosa (8-0, 2 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 9 junior flyweight who holds the WBA title. The 24-year-old southpaw proudly fights under the Belgica Peña-run Shuan Boxing.

Sources from both camps informed The Ring—on the condition of anonymity—that an offer was presented to Rosa. A deal is not yet finalized or even particularly close, but talks are productive enough to where both sides are optimistic that the fight will happen.

The only uncertainty is whether it happens next.

Yabuki has some wiggle room before he will be pressed to next defend against mandatory challenger Cristian Araneta (25-2, 20 KOs). The 32-year-old local hero of Nagoya, Aichi, Japan won the belt in a stirring ninth-round knockout of Sive Nontshinga (13-2, 10 KOs) on Oct. 12 in his home state of Aichi.

Araneta was assured a shot at the winner, though the IBF has yet to order the fight. Even if that ruling comes, Yabuki would have the right to file for an exception should he and Rosa reach a deal by that point.

Rosa claimed the vacant WBA junior flyweight title in a twelve-round, unanimous decision over Neider Valdez (14-2-2, 8 KOs) on Dec. 19 in his hometown of Santo Domingo, D.R. The win saw Rosa claim his first full title; he previously held a secondary version of the WBA strawweight title which he relinquished in 2024 to campaign at junior flyweight.

Unlike his divisional rival, Rosa does not carry any mandatory commitments at the moment.