Suganob, rated No. 7 by The Ring at junior flyweight, will face veteran Siphamandla Baleni in Tagbilaran City, Philippines, on Saturday.

"It was supposedly Rodrigo Ramirez from Venezuela, but due to circumstances beyond our control, our team had to look for a replacement," Suganob (17-1, 6 KOs) told The Ring.

"I respect my opponent as a seasoned fighter, but I am more focused and ready to give my best for the fight."

The only blemish on the 28-year-old's record came when he lost a 12-round unanimous against then IBF 108-pound titlist Sivenathi Nontshinga in East London, South Africa, in July 2023.

It was a watershed moment in his career and one he is keen to learn from.

"It was a tough experience, as it was my only career loss," he said. "But I never consider it as a failure, rather a learning experience and an eye-opener, to be more disciplined and composed under pressure.

"It made me hungrier, and every day since has been about growth and fixing the little things that matter.

"After that loss, I continued to improve myself. I worked on my footwork, timing, and fight IQ. Each opponent brought something different, and I learned to adapt more quickly. I feel smarter in the ring, and more confident trusting my instincts."

However, Suganob, who has a degree in Marine Transportation, endured a frustrating 2025, fighting just once.

"My team had to look for bigger opportunities, but unfortunately, it did not favor us, which resulted in my almost a year of inactivity in the ring," he explained. "I used that time to train harder and skills development. I stayed in the gym every day, kept boxing sharp, and fixed little flaws."

The Filipino is highly ranked by three of the four sanctioning bodies. He is ranked IBF No. 5, WBC No. 8 and No. 4.

"Right now, I'm focused on climbing even higher in the world rankings," he said. "I have kept my eye on [WBA and WBO champion] Rene Santiago, and I want to challenge him, but I am also prepared to face any champion in the junior flyweight division if given the opportunity. My ultimate goal to become a world champion. "

Suganob's manager, Floriezyl Podot, is determined to put his man on the right path to get another world title fight.

"Keep building momentum, stay active, and get back into world-title contention," said Podot. "We're taking every fight seriously, sharpening skills, and making sure he's ready when the big opportunity comes."

Baleni (21-8-2, 8 KOs) has been a professional since 2011. The 35-year-old has won South African national titles at strawweight and junior flyweight.

Despite eight losses on his record, he has never been stopped despite sharing the ring with Hasanboy Dusmatov (UD 10) and Ring-rated Beavon Sibanda (UD 10).