Former Japanese super welterweight champion Hironobu Matsunaga of Yokohama Hikari Boxing Gym dropped a 10-round majority decision to Jhony Navarrete of Mexico in a super welterweight nontitle bout at Puebla in southern Mexico on April 30 (May 1 Japan time).

While southpaw Matsunaga frequently forced the 31-year-old Navarrete back to the ropes, he failed to land decisive blows throughout the fight held at Arena BUAP in the city.

The rangy Mexican, an elder brother of World Boxing Organization featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete, occasionally landed left uppercuts by moving back.

Matsunaga, 34, won the Japanese title in May 2019 and successfully defended it three times before relinquishing the title last year. He fought in Puebla last August and stopped Isidro Toala of Mexico in the first round.

With the defeat, Matsunaga now has a record of 20 wins, including 13 KOs, against two losses, while Navarrete improved his record to a 35-17-2 win-loss-draw tally with 15 KOs.