On 6 June, at Hall A of the Aichi International Exhibition Centre (Aichi Sky Expo) in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, IBF world flyweight champion Masamichi Yabuki (Midori) successfully retained his title for the second time, securing a lopsided unanimous decision victory over third-ranked challenger Rene Calixto (Mexico) in the 12-round main event of “3150FIGHT 10”. The judges’ scorecards read 118-108, 118-108, and 116-110.
カリストを撃退した王者矢吹㊨
The contest began with both fighters exchanging left jabs while circling steadily to their left. As Calixto attempted to counter Yabuki’s jab with overhand rights, Yabuki evaded with subtle footwork, established distance with his lead jab, and scored the opening knockdown with a powerful right hook immediately following a straight right.
Upon Calixto beating the count, Yabuki registered a second knockdown with a well-timed right cross. In the second round, the champion landed a left hook followed instantly by a short right. In the third, Yabuki utilized precise lateral movement to trap a retreating Calixto against the ropes, sinking a powerful left hook into the midsection.
In the fourth round, Yabuki staggered Calixto with a sharp left body shot from mid-range and pinned him against the ropes with a flurry of combinations. However, rather than overcommitting, Yabuki evaded the challenger’s desperate counters and disciplinedly returned to his back-foot boxing, whilst occasionally finding a home for a leaping left hook.
Calixto mounted a clear resurgence in the fifth round. Reversing roles, the challenger advanced behind a sharp left jab and repeatedly connected with left hooks, further punctuating his success with a long overhand right.
Calixto continued to press forward behind straight right hands to the body and looping overhand rights. Yabuki attempted to deter the advance with lead left hooks, and by the seventh round, he established his rhythm through subtle upper-body movement and footwork, implementing an effective counter-punching strategy. In the eighth, Yabuki intensified his attack, primarily relying on his left hook to completely neutralize Calixto’s offensive output.
As Calixto continued to press forward, Yabuki repeatedly lured him in before deterring the advance with powerful rights and left hooks. In the 10th round, Yabuki landed a counter right and attempted to finish the doubled-over challenger with further right hands, but the Mexican displayed immense durability to survive the onslaught.
Desperate to turn the tide, Calixto mounted a ferocious attack in the 11th and final rounds, unleashing heavy combinations. Yabuki, however, remained defensively sound, blocking and evading the incoming punches before pushing Calixto back in the final moments with left hooks to the body and downward right hands.
“Because the start went so well, I fought with too much tension throughout the fight,” Yabuki said in a self-critical post-fight interview. “I landed good shots in the middle rounds, but he answered back with a lot of determination. My performance became too predictable. It was a difficult fight from that point onward, and he possessed a deceptive strength that you couldn’t see from the outside. My corner instructed me to watch out for dangerous punches and to be careful after throwing combinations, but there were areas where I failed to execute properly.”
Nevertheless, Yabuki expressed his gratitude for the realization of the event, which had temporarily faced cancellation risks, adding: “I was able to compete today thanks to everyone’s support. I cannot make grand statements based on tonight’s performance, but I can grow by overcoming this type of fight.”
With the victory, the 33-year-old Yabuki improved his record to 20-4 (18 KOs). The 31-year-old Calixto fell to 24-2-1 (10 KOs).
