IBF flyweight champion Masamichi Yabuki turned in another standout performance in Aichi this morning, handing the ultra-tough Felix Alvarado his first stoppage loss in nearly 50 pro fights.
Yabuki has now stopped six consecutive opponents since splitting a pair of bouts with Kenshiro Teraji. He’s always been better than his record, his only prior losses coming to Junto Nakatani, Seigo Yuri Akui, and Daniel Matellon, but he’s truly blossomed to become one of the sport’s best and most underrated champions at the age of 33. With his mandatory obligation satisfied for the next 12 months, here’s hoping he gets a crack at unified titlist Ricardo Sandoval next time out.
