Bookmakers made Takeshi Ishii a strong favorite against Wilfredo Mendez when they come head-to-head in their clash on Wednesday 2nd September 2026 at Yokohama Buntai, Yokohama, Japan.
He is currently 1/4 (-400) to win the clash outright, while you can get 5/2 (+250) on Wilfredo Mendez if you fancy the upset.
That means that oddsmakers think there is 74% chance of Ishii winning while giving Mendez a 26% chance.
Ishii opened as the favorite at 1/4 (-400).
Mendez opened at 11/4 (+280) which has got wider by -3/4 (+130).
The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds in the Minimumweight division, which means both fighters will have to make the weight limit of 105 pounds (7.35 stones or 47.73 kg) on the day of the weigh-in.
This contest is for the vacant WBA minimumweight championship of the world.
Ishii vs Mendez Head To Head
Takeshi Ishii steps into the ring with a record of 11 wins, 1 loss, and 0 draws, 8 of those wins coming by way of knockout.
Wilfredo Mendez will make his way to the ring with a record of 20 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws, with 6 of those wins by knockout.
The stats suggest Ishii has a massive power advantage over Mendez, boasting a 73% knockout percentage compared to Mendez's 30%.
Takeshi Ishii is the younger man by 3 years, at 26 years old.
Mendez has a height advantage of 4 inches over Ishii. This also extends to a 2-inch reach advantage.
Takeshi Ishii fights out of the orthodox stance, while Wilfredo Mendez is a southpaw.
Ishii is the less experienced professional fighter, having had 13 fewer fights, and made his debut in 2022, 5 years and 10 months later than Mendez, whose first professional fight was in 2016. He has fought 125 fewer professional rounds, totaling 53 compared to Mendez's 178.
Takeshi Ishii goes into the fight ranked number 2 by the WBA, 9 by the WBO, and 6 by The Ring at minimumweight.
Wilfredo Mendez is currently ranked number 3 by the WBA, and 8 by the WBO in the 105lb division.
Ishii vs Mendez betting form
Mendez has beaten 3 of his last 5 opponents, stopping 1 of them, going the distance twice.
In his last fight, he beat Nelvis Rodriguez on February 21, 2025, by unanimous decision in their 8 round contest at Cancha Ruben Zayas Montanez, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.
Prior to that, he had beaten Jesus Haro on April 20, 2024, by unanimous decision in their 12 round contest at Coliseo Ruben Zayas, Trujillo Alto.
Going into that contest, he had been beaten by Yudai Shigeoka on April 16, 2023, by knockout in the 7th round in their WBC Interim World Minimumweight championship fight at Yoyogi #2 Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan. He was a 7/2 (+350) underdog going into the fight.
Before that, he had lost to Masataka Taniguchi on December 14, 2021, by technical knockout in the 11th round in their WBO World Minimumweight championship fight at Kokugikan, Tokyo.
He had won against Gabriel Mendoza on February 8, 2020, by technical knockout in the 9th round in their WBO World Minimumweight championship fight at Hotel El Panama, Panama City, Panama.
Who's been more active?
Mendez's last 5 fights have come over a period of 6 years, 6 months and 25 days, meaning he has been fighting on average every 1 year, 3 months and 24 days. In those fights, he fought a total of 47 rounds, meaning that they have lasted 9.4 rounds on average.
What’s the Latest Time I Can Bet on Ishii vs Mendez Pre Fight?
The fighters are expected to ringwalk at around 11:00 AM UTC at Yokohama Buntai, Yokohama, Japan, which is 7:00 AM EST or 4:00 AM PST on the West Coast of America, or 12:00 PM BST in the UK.
