René Santiago
| 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 | 19 |
| Wins | 15 |
| 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.
Professional career
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]
His first defense was in an unification bout against WBA light-flyweight champion, Kyosuke Takami, at Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. He won by split decision with the judges' scorecards reading 117-111 and 115-113 and 112-116.[7]
Santiago’s first defense was in an unification bout with the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) champion, Kyosuke Takami of Japan.[8] Despite entering the fight as a 9-1 underdog, Santiago defeated Takami by split decision.[8] The cards were 116-112, 113-115 and 111-117.[8]
Professional boxing record
| 19 fights | 15 wins | 4 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 9 | 0 |
| By decision | 5 | 4 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
See also
- List of male boxers
- List of Puerto Ricans
- Boxing in Puerto Rico
- List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions
- List of world light-flyweight boxing champions
References
- ^ "Rene "Chulo" Santiago KO's Kevin Vivas!". Boxingnews24. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ "Santiago wins WBO interim 108lb title". Fightnews. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ Iskenderov, Parviz (3 March 2024). "Jonathan Gonzalez retains title by decision against Rene Santiago". FIGHTMAG.
- ^ Fischer, Doug (3 March 2024). "Jonathan Gonzalez outpoints Rene Santiago, retains WBO 108-pound title". The Ring.
- ^ "Rene Santiago scores upset win over Shokichi Iwata to claim WBO belt". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ "Rene Santiago stuns Shokichi Iwata to win the WBO light-flyweight belt". Boxing News Online. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ "Rene Santiago claims split nod over Kyosuke Takami to unify WBA and WBO 108lbs titles". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ a b c Jake Donovan (December 17, 2025). "Rene Santiago claims split nod over Kyosuke Takami to unify WBA and WBO 108lbs titles". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
External links
- Boxing record for René Santiago from BoxRec (registration required)
- René Santiago - Profile, News Archive & Current Rankings at Box.Live