René Santiago
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April 10, 1992
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | René Manuel Santiago García April 10, 1992 Humacao, Puerto Rico |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) |
| Weight | |
| Boxing career | |
| Reach | 62+1⁄2 in (159 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 20 |
| Wins | 16 |
| Win by KO | 9 |
| Losses | 4 |
René Manuel Santiago García (born April 10, 1992) is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. He is a unified light-flyweight champion having held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title since March 2025 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) title since December 2025.
Santiago turned professional in 2014 and compiled a record 12–3 before defeating Nicaraguan Kevin Vivas, to win the vacant WBO interim light-flyweight title.[1][2]
Santiago challenged Jonathan Gonzalez for WBO light-flyweight title in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 2 March 2024. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[3][4]
Santiago claimed the WBO light-flyweight title with a unanimous decision win over defending champion Shokichi Iwata at Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, on 13 March 2025.[5][6]
Santiago's first defense was in an unification bout with the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) champion, Kyosuke Takami of Japan.[7] Despite entering the fight as a 9–1 underdog, Santiago defeated Takami by split decision.[7] The cards were 116–112, 113–115 and 111–117.[7]
On April 3, 2026, Santiago traveled to Tokyo for his second defense, defeating former world champion Masataka Taniguchi by unanimous decision after scoring a knockdown in the fifth round as part of the main event of a card held at the historic Korakuen Hall.[8][9]
Professional boxing record
| 20 fights | 16 wins | 4 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 9 | 0 |
| By decision | 6 | 4 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Win | 16–4 | Masataka Taniguchi | UD | 12 | 3 Apr 2026 | Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBA and WBO light-flyweight titles |
| 19 | Win | 15–4 | Kyosuke Takami | SD | 12 | 17 Dec 2025 | Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBO light-flyweight title; Won WBA light-flyweight title |
| 18 | Win | 14–4 | Shokichi Iwata | UD | 12 | 13 Mar 2025 | Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan | Won WBO light-flyweight title |
| 17 | Win | 13–4 | Ricardo Astuvilca | UD | 12 | 30 Oct 2024 | Coliseo Alcalde Marcelo Trujillo Panisse, Humacao, Puerto Rico | Won vacant WBO International light-flyweight title |
| 16 | Loss | 12–4 | Jonathan González | UD | 12 | 2 Mar 2024 | José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico | For WBO light-flyweight title |
| 15 | Win | 12–3 | Kevin Vivas | KO | 12 (12), 1:18 | 27 Oct 2023 | Polideportivo Alexis Arguello, Managua, Nicaragua | Won WBO interim light-flyweight title |
| 14 | Win | 11–3 | Carlos Ortega | TKO | 9 (10), 1:28 | 14 Apr 2023 | Coliseo de Combates, Pandeportes, Panama City, Panama | |
| 13 | Win | 10–3 | Gerardo Zapata | DQ | 2 (10), 1:30 | 16 Dec 2022 | Pabellon de Esgrima, Centro Olimpico, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Won vacant WBO Latino light-flyweight title |
| 12 | Loss | 9–3 | Yudel Reyes | UD | 10 | 8 Apr 2022 | Pabellon de Esgrima, Centro Olimpico, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | For vacant NABO mini-flyweight title |
| 11 | Win | 9–2 | Jose Calderon | TKO | 2 (10), 1:07 | 7 Nov 2021 | Multiuso Villa Riva, San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic | |
| 10 | Win | 8–2 | Israel Vazquez | UD | 10 | 31 Jan 2020 | Cancha Ruben Zayas Montanez, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico | Won vacant WBO Latino light-flyweight title |
| 9 | Win | 7–2 | Juan Gabriel Guzman Pichardo | TKO | 1 (10), 2:58 | 23 Nov 2019 | Discoteca Juanita, San Ignacio de Sabaneta, Dominican Republic | |
| 8 | Loss | 6–2 | Geovani Garcia Barragan | UD | 6 | 7 Dec 2018 | Auditorio Blackberry, Mexico City, Mexico | |
| 7 | Win | 6–1 | Jesus Miguel Martinez Castillo | TKO | 2 (6), 2:27 | 25 Aug 2018 | Hotel Marien, San Ignacio de Sabaneta, Dominican Republic | |
| 6 | Win | 5–1 | Starlin Reyes Sierra | KO | 1 (4), 2:55 | 1 Jul 2018 | Club Plaza Valerio, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic | |
| 5 | Loss | 4–1 | Waldemar Pagan | UD | 6 | 30 Jan 2016 | Cancha Juanito Cabello, Cidra, Puerto Rico | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Alberto Medina Maldonado | TKO | 2 (4), 2:27 | 22 Aug 2015 | Coliseo Tomas Dones, Fajardo, Puerto Rico | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Alexis Diaz | TKO | 3 (4), 2:59 | 31 May 2015 | Coliseo Nelson Dieppa, Vieques, Puerto Rico | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Luis Diaz | TKO | 2 (4), 1:45 | 25 Apr 2015 | Mario Morales Coliseum, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Gustavo Ortiz | UD | 4 | 22 Nov 2014 | Emilio E. Huyke Coliseum, Humacao, Puerto Rico |