Bernabe Concepcion - Famous Rizaleño

Bernabe Concepcion

Bernabe "Abe" Concepcion (born 1988) is a featherweight boxer. He is currently the holder of the WBC International Featherweight Crown. Concepcion was born in Viga, Catanduanes, Philippines and raised in Binangonan, Rizal. Being from a boxing-orientated family, he trained from a young age. He turned professional at the age of 16.


Early life

Concepcion has two older brothers who were also professional boxers. They were his inspiration for having taken up boxing himself. He started boxing at an early age, watching his brothers at first and eventually training with them. He then went into amateur boxing but almost immediately turned professional when he turned 16.


Professional career

Super bantamweight

Having developed his boxing skill in his early life, by 2005, he was considered to be one of the most promising boxing talents to emerge from the Philippines. Today, Concepcion fights mainly in the United States, carving out wins away from his homeland Philippines He won his first title via KO in China against a Chinese hometown boxer, and gained his two recent belts in the United States against rated opposition. During this first professional bout, he gained his first knockdown, but was able to floor his veteran opponent as well in the early rounds of that fight (Concepcion was 17 years of age at the time). A year later, he won the WBC youth super bantamweight title by scoring a unanimous decision win over a then undefeated opponent, Joksan "El Torito" Hernandez.

Bob Arum immediately signed Concepcion up for Top Rank Boxing following this win.


Featherweight

For his first world title shot, Concepcion took on Steven Luevano for the WBO featherweight title on August 15, 2009. Originally, the fight was supposed to be included in the undercard of the May 2, 2009 bout between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton but Luevano pulled out due to an injury. Instead, Concepcion fought Colombian Yogli Herrera that night and managed to eke out a 6-round decision.

Concepcion lost his title bout against Steven Luevano via disqualification. Luevano was ahead on the scorecards when Concepcion landed late blows after the seventh round, resulting in a disqualification.

On February 13, 2010, Concepcion faced Puerto Rican Mario “Principe Ponce” Santiago at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Filipino boxer won the 10-round bout by unanimous decision with the scores 98-91, 96-93, 97-92. Concepcion was also able to knock the opponent down in the 6th-round with a powerful right. This win brought Concepcion to a potential fight against Puerto Rican sensation Juan Manuel López. Concepcion is scheduled to fight Juan Manuel Lopez on July 10, 2010, for the latter's WBO featherweight title.