South African junior bantamweight Ricardo Malajika will take on former world title challenger Vince Paras at Emperors Palace, Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 29.

Malajika, The Ring's No. 7-rated divisional contender, is nearing a world title opportunity and well ranked with two sanctioning bodies - the WBC (No. 3) and IBF (No. 8).

"Malajika-Paras is also for the IBF's No. 2 ranking, effectively the mandatory position," Golden Gloves chief Rodney Berman told The Ring.

Paras is currently the IBF's No. 4-rated contender, while their top-two spots remain vacant with former WBA champion Andrew Maloney sitting at No. 3 and the existing mandatory for December 27's duel between Willibaldo Garcia and Kenshiro Teraji.

"After (Jesse) Bam (Rodriguez), Ricardo is unstoppable in the division, simple as that. Once Bam moves up to bantamweight leaving Ricardo to fight for the vacant IBF title, we will then keep chasing Bam until getting an opportunity to fight him."

Malajika (16-2, 12 KOs) learned and improved from a pair of early defeats. The 26-year-old has beaten Kevin Munoz and Marcel Braithwaite in 12-round decision wins, while stopping Jackson Chauke (KO2) and former world title challenger Jayson Mama (TKO5) on August 9.

Paras (24-3-1, 18 KOs) turned pro at 16 a decade ago, reeling off a 13-fight win streak before venturing to Japan, where he produced a good effort in a wide 12-round defeat during his IBF strawweight title tilt against Hiroto Kyoguchi in May 2018. When he returned five months later up at junior flyweight, he was bested by fellow Filipino Jonathan Taconing.

He won seven straight afterwards, the lone blemish being a 10-round draw with Robert Paradero in April 2022. The 26-year-old upset Kyoguchi last May before losing a trilogy tussle five months later by 10-round majority decision, after which he's won three in a row.

Malajika-Paras and undercard action will be broadcast across Africa on SuperSport and internationally through i-ME.

The undercard will feature a pair of junior middleweight contests in a tournament dubbed "Survivor" with the winners contesting R2.5M (roughly $144,000) in next year's final.

In the first matchup, Shervantaigh Koopman (15-1, 10 KOs) and Brandon Thysse (18-4-1, 13 KOs) will meet in a rematch of their close-run fight that Koopman eventually won by eighth-round stoppage in September 2023.

Meanwhile, Roarke Knapp (18-3-1, 13 KOs) faces Botswana's Kagiso Bogwasi (7-0, 4 KOs).

South Africa's Phikelelani Khumalo (8-2, 5 KOs) will put his domestic middleweight title on the line against DonJuan van Heerden (10-3, 7 KOs).

Juan Alberts (6-0-1, 5 KOs) will face Belgium's Michael Pirotton (10-1, 4 KOs) in an international heavyweight contest.

Rounding out the action will be the much-anticipated debut of heavyweight Ethan Peters.