MANILA, Philippines–Jerwin Ancajas’ comeback fight came to a swift end on Sunday. But not the way the former world champion wanted it to.

Fighting in front of a home crowd for the first time in eight years, Ancajas won by disqualification against Thai journeyman Sukpraserd Ponpitak in the co-main event of Manny Pacquiao’s Blow-by-Blow at Mandaluyong City College gym.

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The referee waived off the fight at the 2:34 mark of the fifth round after Pontipak pushed Ancajas down off a clinch despite being deducted and repeatedly warned in the earlier rounds.

READ: Jerwin Ancajas knocked out by Takuma Inoue; Jonas Sultan also falls

Ancajas made his presence felt early, sending Pontipak to the canvas with a counter right and looked primed for a knockout victory.

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But the veteran Pontipak made it a rugged encounter that frustrated Ancajas, who was illegally taken down a couple of times in the supposed scheduled 10-rounder.

The 36-year-old Pontipak, who suffered the 20th loss of his career, was deducted a point in the third round.

Ancajas, 32, nonetheless, improved to 35-4-2 with 23KOS in his ring return seven months after a stunning knockout loss to Takuma Inoue in Tokyo.

READ: Jerwin Ancajas wants Martinez rematch, vows to do better job

A leaner Ancajas also made his featherweight debut after struggling to make weight in his last couple of fights at super flyweight where he was once the IBF world champion from 2016 to 2022.

After losing his title to Argentina’s Fernando Martinez, who dominated him twice in 2022, Ancajas made a successful climb to 118 pounds and stopped Colombia’s Wilner Sotto eight months later but failed to claim the WBA bantamweight belt against Inoue.

Having lost three of his last four fights prior to the fight against Pontipak, Ancajas is eager to put his name back into world title contention.

Ancajas, however, will have to wait for another opportunity make his case.