Yabuki stops Ayala, Yokoyama overcomes Magramo
0
4
Today we had the first of two back to back days of action courtesy of 3150 Fight and LushBomu, who have given us a weekend to look forward to with two world title bouts and shows littered with prospects and notable Japanese names. Today’s show, was the more prospect heavy of the two, with prospects taking on some very notable names, in big step up fights, and was arguably the better of the two line ups.
One of the many youngsters on the show was 20 year old debutant Rikito Irita (1-0) [入田力斗] who overcame game Thai visitor Nanthanon Thongchai (13-4-2, 11), also 20, in a very good debut. Coming in to this Thongchai had lost in his 3 fights outside of Thailand, but had shown his value as an opponent in both of his Japanese losses in 2023, and did so again here From the off Irita was on the offensive, tagging Thongchai hard early on and backing him on the ropes, it was clear Irita thought he was going to walk through his opponent, however Thongchai showed his toughness and by round 3 was giving as good as he could get in a really thrilling back and forth, It was then Irita changed tactics relying on his boxing in round 4, as Thangchai looked to turn it around in the final 2 rounds. Saldy for Thongchai a point deduction in round 6, for a rabbit punch, did him no favours, despite his brave effort. After 6 rounds Irita took the decision with scores of 59-54, twice, and 58-55.
The second bout on the show saw 22 year old Hayate Hanada (3-1-1, 1) [花田颯] win a very fun bout with tough Filipino Yeroge Gura (8-2-1, 3). Hanada, who has been pushed incredibly hard in his first 5 bouts, look to close the distance and was constantly on the attack here, with Gura looking to counter, fight back and respond making for an exciting clash of styles. Gura's gamemess on the back foot, his toughness and his timing were on point and he mande Hananada pay for mistakes but at times he was making it hard to give him rounds, especially the final 2, when Hanada simply outworked him, out fought him, and refused to be denied the victory. The win for Hanada was never in too much doubt when we went to the scorecards, with scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75, and he was the boss, but Gura impressed and we hope to see more of him at this type of level, against emerging regional talents, rather than just picking up low level domestic wins.
The first stoppage of the show came as Kyosuke Okamoto (10-1-1, 7) [岡本恭佑] scored the biggest win of his career, by far, and stopped former world title challenger Michael Dasmarinas (36-4-2, 25), who is best known for facing Naoya Inoue in the US. Okamoto approached this bout smartly, looking to control distance, make Dasmarinas miss, and strike when the opportunities arose, including a really nice body shot in round 3. In round 4 Dasmarinas looked to up the pressure, feeling that he needed to get to the younger, fresherman. That did lead to some good moments for Dasmarinas but in round 5 he got greedy and over-committed, leaving himself open for a counter. The counter was a perfect right hand on the side of the head by Okamoto who dropped Dasmarinas hard, resulting in the referee having no option but to wave off the bout with Dasmarinas flat on his face. For the 21 year old Okamoto this is a huge win and should push him towards a regional title bout of some kind.
Dasmarinas wasn't the only former world title challenger on this card, as unbeaten Japanese fighter Ei Go (5-0, 2) [斎藤英豪] over-came former WBO Super Bantamweight title challenger Jeo Santisima (25-8, 21). From the off Go looked too technical, too sharp and too good to lose a decision, however Santisima looked dangerous, and was catching Go with good single shots, notably his hooks and the occasional straight. Given Satisima’s power, with 21 in 25 wins coming inside the distance, it felt like he could turn the script with a single clean shot. In the end however that decisive shot never came from Santisima, who tired himself looking for one, and seemed like he was being broken down in the final rounds, as Go started to feel comfortable going for a finish. In the end however Go couldn’t find the finishing blows, and we went to the judges, who had this 79-73, twice, and 77-75 in favour of Go.
Another unbeaten prospect picking up a good win on the under-card was Ayumu Sano (10-0-1, 4) [佐野遥渉], wight the 22 year old WBC Youth World Champion, being far too good, too sharp and too skilled for Thai challenger Nattapong Jankaew (13-5, 9). Sano boxed carefully early on, using his jab to dictate the fight, before opening up in round 4, when he had a good read on Jankaew, hurting him with a left to the body before another dropped him. The Thai beat the count but was under immediate pressure until the referee stepped in, waving off the bout and saving the Thai from further punishment.
In the chief support contest fans saw the break out of a future star as 23 year old prospect Aoi Yokoyama (3-0, 1) [横山葵海] made the most of his first title fight, and took the OPBF Super Flyweight title from defending champion Giemel Magramo (30-5, 23), with an excellent performance. A performance that saw him tie the Japanese record for fewest fights to an OPBF title, and sets him up, potentially, to set a Japanese record for fewest fights to a world title. The bout saw Yokoyama using his speed, youth and natural size well, establishing his jab well and controlling the distance, whilst keeping Magramo at range, not allowing the champion to set his tempo. The control that Yokoyama's jab was having on the action was shown when the scorecards were announced after 4 rounds, with the challenger up on all 3.
In the middle rounds, with the nerves and tempo settling down, Yokoyama began to throw heavier shots, whilst continuing to make Magramo miss, with the speed difference being a major factor as Yokoyama continued to control the action and remain in the lead after 8 rounds.Knowing he was behind Magramo tried to turn things around in the final rounds, he had success in round 9, landing some of his best fight and it was the only round all 3 judges gave him. Sadly for him it was short lived success and in rounds 11 and 12 Yokoyama regained full control, hurting Magramo in round 11 with a body shot, and landed clean shots through the final round. After 12 rounds it was hard to see it as anything other than a win for Yokoyama, and that was shown on the cards which were 117-111, twice, and 118-110, to give him a wide and massive win at this early stage of his career.
After the bout Yokoyama stated "I thought my opponent would come forward more. I was able to fight at my own distance, but my defense still needs work. I was able to exchange blows, but I prioritized the win. I'm happy because I didn't think I'd be able to win the title in my third fight.” Watanabe Gym President Hitoshi Watanabe, also spoke after the win, and stated "He did really well. When he was wondering whether to come to our gym, I scouted him by saying, 'If you think you can't challenge for the world title, you can transfer to another gym.' He showed me his progress since the last fight. I'm relieved that he won.". Yokoyama seems to now have history in his sights as he told the press "Yes!" to the question as to whether he'd take a world title fight if offered one next time out. Magramo was also complimentary of Yokoyama, saying "His jabs and footwork were so fast I couldn't catch him," and went on to add "If he builds up his career, he could become a world champion."
In the main event we saw another champion being dethroned as IBF Flyweight world champion Angel Ayala Lardizabal (18-1, 8) was stopped in his first defense, by IBF Light Flyweight champion Masamichi Yabuki (18-4, 17) [佐藤政道], who for now holds both titles though has made it clear he’s leaving Light Flyweight and will campaign at 112lbs going forward.
This were perfect early on for Yabuki, who dropped Ayala in each of the first 2 rounds. The first knockdown, late in round 1, came from an excellent counter left hook which sent Ayala down, even if it didn’t seem to hurt him. In round 2 a stiff short right hand counter made Ayala touch down with his glove, with this one being clearly felt even if he was back on his feet within a blink of an eye. Things then got messy, and very bloody as a clash of heads in round 3 left both men badly cut, with Ayala cut on the forehead and Yabuki under the right eye, cuts that would lead to the bout becoming a blood bath by the end. The cuts were threatening to end the bout, either way, and both knew it, however Yabuki's jab began to control the action, with the challenger winning rounds behind his calm, accurate, boxing, whilst Ayala struggled to find answers. The best Ayala did get was in round 5, when he landed some solid shots, including a left hook and straight right, but it was short respite for the Mexican who failed to build on it as Yabuki continued to box well and run up the rounds.
With both men being covered in blood both, their own and each others, as we went into the final round it seemed like Yabuki could cruise to the bell for the decision. He however had other ideas and scored his third knockdown with a hard right cross. Ayala showed no quit, getting to his feet again, but Yabuki smelled blood and jumped on the champion, who had little left to offer before the referee jumped in and saved him with just over a minute of the fight left.
After the bout Yabuki spoke about how he felt, showing some self doubt before giving himself credit, saying "I got cut myself under my right eye due to an accidental collision, but my eye was clouded with Vaseline and sweat so it was difficult to fight. I became a little timid and fought while thinking, 'I guess I'm mentally weak.' Even after knocking Ayala down, he didn't show any signs of being in pain and kept coming forward, which made me feel his strength of mind. I attacked well in the final round. The counter that knocked him down came naturally. Everything changes whether you win or lose. Winning is everything."
As for his future Yanuki noted that there is a mandatory defence against Felix Alvarado (42-4, 35) due, in what will be a potential FOTY, saying "My next fight is a mandatory bout. The fight that everyone wants to see will be after that. Kenshiro (WBA/WBC World Flyweight Unified Champion) seems to be moving up a step, so I want to fight Olascuaga,", referring to Anthony Olascuaga the current WBO champion.
As for Ayala, he spoke to the media and said "Getting knocked down in the first round derailed all my plans. I tried to do my best until the end, but the distance was too far and I couldn't catch him. Yabuki is experienced, so even when I tried to engage in an exchange of blows, he didn't respond and he was able to handle me well. I knew the situation was getting tough as the rounds progressed, but I had no intention of losing and stuck to my own style of forward boxing." Despite admitting to struggling with Yabuki overall, Ayala wasn’t happy about the ending and added "The stoppage was a little early, so if I have the chance, I would like to fight Yabuki again." It’s worth noting that going into round 12 all 3 judges had the bout 109-98, a very clear lead to Yabuki.
One of the many youngsters on the show was 20 year old debutant Rikito Irita (1-0) [入田力斗] who overcame game Thai visitor Nanthanon Thongchai (13-4-2, 11), also 20, in a very good debut. Coming in to this Thongchai had lost in his 3 fights outside of Thailand, but had shown his value as an opponent in both of his Japanese losses in 2023, and did so again here From the off Irita was on the offensive, tagging Thongchai hard early on and backing him on the ropes, it was clear Irita thought he was going to walk through his opponent, however Thongchai showed his toughness and by round 3 was giving as good as he could get in a really thrilling back and forth, It was then Irita changed tactics relying on his boxing in round 4, as Thangchai looked to turn it around in the final 2 rounds. Saldy for Thongchai a point deduction in round 6, for a rabbit punch, did him no favours, despite his brave effort. After 6 rounds Irita took the decision with scores of 59-54, twice, and 58-55.
The second bout on the show saw 22 year old Hayate Hanada (3-1-1, 1) [花田颯] win a very fun bout with tough Filipino Yeroge Gura (8-2-1, 3). Hanada, who has been pushed incredibly hard in his first 5 bouts, look to close the distance and was constantly on the attack here, with Gura looking to counter, fight back and respond making for an exciting clash of styles. Gura's gamemess on the back foot, his toughness and his timing were on point and he mande Hananada pay for mistakes but at times he was making it hard to give him rounds, especially the final 2, when Hanada simply outworked him, out fought him, and refused to be denied the victory. The win for Hanada was never in too much doubt when we went to the scorecards, with scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75, and he was the boss, but Gura impressed and we hope to see more of him at this type of level, against emerging regional talents, rather than just picking up low level domestic wins.
The first stoppage of the show came as Kyosuke Okamoto (10-1-1, 7) [岡本恭佑] scored the biggest win of his career, by far, and stopped former world title challenger Michael Dasmarinas (36-4-2, 25), who is best known for facing Naoya Inoue in the US. Okamoto approached this bout smartly, looking to control distance, make Dasmarinas miss, and strike when the opportunities arose, including a really nice body shot in round 3. In round 4 Dasmarinas looked to up the pressure, feeling that he needed to get to the younger, fresherman. That did lead to some good moments for Dasmarinas but in round 5 he got greedy and over-committed, leaving himself open for a counter. The counter was a perfect right hand on the side of the head by Okamoto who dropped Dasmarinas hard, resulting in the referee having no option but to wave off the bout with Dasmarinas flat on his face. For the 21 year old Okamoto this is a huge win and should push him towards a regional title bout of some kind.
Dasmarinas wasn't the only former world title challenger on this card, as unbeaten Japanese fighter Ei Go (5-0, 2) [斎藤英豪] over-came former WBO Super Bantamweight title challenger Jeo Santisima (25-8, 21). From the off Go looked too technical, too sharp and too good to lose a decision, however Santisima looked dangerous, and was catching Go with good single shots, notably his hooks and the occasional straight. Given Satisima’s power, with 21 in 25 wins coming inside the distance, it felt like he could turn the script with a single clean shot. In the end however that decisive shot never came from Santisima, who tired himself looking for one, and seemed like he was being broken down in the final rounds, as Go started to feel comfortable going for a finish. In the end however Go couldn’t find the finishing blows, and we went to the judges, who had this 79-73, twice, and 77-75 in favour of Go.
Another unbeaten prospect picking up a good win on the under-card was Ayumu Sano (10-0-1, 4) [佐野遥渉], wight the 22 year old WBC Youth World Champion, being far too good, too sharp and too skilled for Thai challenger Nattapong Jankaew (13-5, 9). Sano boxed carefully early on, using his jab to dictate the fight, before opening up in round 4, when he had a good read on Jankaew, hurting him with a left to the body before another dropped him. The Thai beat the count but was under immediate pressure until the referee stepped in, waving off the bout and saving the Thai from further punishment.
In the chief support contest fans saw the break out of a future star as 23 year old prospect Aoi Yokoyama (3-0, 1) [横山葵海] made the most of his first title fight, and took the OPBF Super Flyweight title from defending champion Giemel Magramo (30-5, 23), with an excellent performance. A performance that saw him tie the Japanese record for fewest fights to an OPBF title, and sets him up, potentially, to set a Japanese record for fewest fights to a world title. The bout saw Yokoyama using his speed, youth and natural size well, establishing his jab well and controlling the distance, whilst keeping Magramo at range, not allowing the champion to set his tempo. The control that Yokoyama's jab was having on the action was shown when the scorecards were announced after 4 rounds, with the challenger up on all 3.
In the middle rounds, with the nerves and tempo settling down, Yokoyama began to throw heavier shots, whilst continuing to make Magramo miss, with the speed difference being a major factor as Yokoyama continued to control the action and remain in the lead after 8 rounds.Knowing he was behind Magramo tried to turn things around in the final rounds, he had success in round 9, landing some of his best fight and it was the only round all 3 judges gave him. Sadly for him it was short lived success and in rounds 11 and 12 Yokoyama regained full control, hurting Magramo in round 11 with a body shot, and landed clean shots through the final round. After 12 rounds it was hard to see it as anything other than a win for Yokoyama, and that was shown on the cards which were 117-111, twice, and 118-110, to give him a wide and massive win at this early stage of his career.
After the bout Yokoyama stated "I thought my opponent would come forward more. I was able to fight at my own distance, but my defense still needs work. I was able to exchange blows, but I prioritized the win. I'm happy because I didn't think I'd be able to win the title in my third fight.” Watanabe Gym President Hitoshi Watanabe, also spoke after the win, and stated "He did really well. When he was wondering whether to come to our gym, I scouted him by saying, 'If you think you can't challenge for the world title, you can transfer to another gym.' He showed me his progress since the last fight. I'm relieved that he won.". Yokoyama seems to now have history in his sights as he told the press "Yes!" to the question as to whether he'd take a world title fight if offered one next time out. Magramo was also complimentary of Yokoyama, saying "His jabs and footwork were so fast I couldn't catch him," and went on to add "If he builds up his career, he could become a world champion."
In the main event we saw another champion being dethroned as IBF Flyweight world champion Angel Ayala Lardizabal (18-1, 8) was stopped in his first defense, by IBF Light Flyweight champion Masamichi Yabuki (18-4, 17) [佐藤政道], who for now holds both titles though has made it clear he’s leaving Light Flyweight and will campaign at 112lbs going forward.
This were perfect early on for Yabuki, who dropped Ayala in each of the first 2 rounds. The first knockdown, late in round 1, came from an excellent counter left hook which sent Ayala down, even if it didn’t seem to hurt him. In round 2 a stiff short right hand counter made Ayala touch down with his glove, with this one being clearly felt even if he was back on his feet within a blink of an eye. Things then got messy, and very bloody as a clash of heads in round 3 left both men badly cut, with Ayala cut on the forehead and Yabuki under the right eye, cuts that would lead to the bout becoming a blood bath by the end. The cuts were threatening to end the bout, either way, and both knew it, however Yabuki's jab began to control the action, with the challenger winning rounds behind his calm, accurate, boxing, whilst Ayala struggled to find answers. The best Ayala did get was in round 5, when he landed some solid shots, including a left hook and straight right, but it was short respite for the Mexican who failed to build on it as Yabuki continued to box well and run up the rounds.
With both men being covered in blood both, their own and each others, as we went into the final round it seemed like Yabuki could cruise to the bell for the decision. He however had other ideas and scored his third knockdown with a hard right cross. Ayala showed no quit, getting to his feet again, but Yabuki smelled blood and jumped on the champion, who had little left to offer before the referee jumped in and saved him with just over a minute of the fight left.
After the bout Yabuki spoke about how he felt, showing some self doubt before giving himself credit, saying "I got cut myself under my right eye due to an accidental collision, but my eye was clouded with Vaseline and sweat so it was difficult to fight. I became a little timid and fought while thinking, 'I guess I'm mentally weak.' Even after knocking Ayala down, he didn't show any signs of being in pain and kept coming forward, which made me feel his strength of mind. I attacked well in the final round. The counter that knocked him down came naturally. Everything changes whether you win or lose. Winning is everything."
As for his future Yanuki noted that there is a mandatory defence against Felix Alvarado (42-4, 35) due, in what will be a potential FOTY, saying "My next fight is a mandatory bout. The fight that everyone wants to see will be after that. Kenshiro (WBA/WBC World Flyweight Unified Champion) seems to be moving up a step, so I want to fight Olascuaga,", referring to Anthony Olascuaga the current WBO champion.
As for Ayala, he spoke to the media and said "Getting knocked down in the first round derailed all my plans. I tried to do my best until the end, but the distance was too far and I couldn't catch him. Yabuki is experienced, so even when I tried to engage in an exchange of blows, he didn't respond and he was able to handle me well. I knew the situation was getting tough as the rounds progressed, but I had no intention of losing and stuck to my own style of forward boxing." Despite admitting to struggling with Yabuki overall, Ayala wasn’t happy about the ending and added "The stoppage was a little early, so if I have the chance, I would like to fight Yabuki again." It’s worth noting that going into round 12 all 3 judges had the bout 109-98, a very clear lead to Yabuki.