Masamichi Yabuki has done it again.

A local hero became a two-time junior flyweight champion after an upset victory over outgoing 108-pound titleholder Sivenathi Nontshinga. Yabuki scored three knockdowns to force a stoppage at 1:50 of the ninth round.

With the victory, Yabuki – a former WBC champion – lifted the IBF crown on Saturday at the Sky Expo in Tokoname in Aichi, Japan.

Nontshinga was on the road once again, making the first defense of his second title tour. The visiting South African boxer regained the belt earlier following a tenth-round knockout of Adrian Curiel, who knocked out Nontshinga in the first round last November.

Yabuki was prepared for the occasion and delivered an even more disciplined performance than he did in his upset knockout victory over Kenshiro Teraji in September 2021. Aichi, the fighting pride of Nagoya, used a powerful jab to keep Nontshinga at bay for most of the fight. He also mixed in left hooks for good measure.

Nontshinga tried to make up ground in the second round and had moderate success compared to his deliberate start in the opening round. The momentum didn’t last long. He was often wild and low with his overhand right hand, while Yabuki landed cleaner and sharper punches.

Things seemed to change for Nontshinga in the fifth round. Ring’s No. 2 flyweight often took down Yabuki and forced action. However, at the end of the round he went for a right hand to ruin this luck.

The beginning of the end came at the end of the eighth period. Nontshinga tried in vain to keep up and fire a powerful shot to turn the tide. Instead, it was Yabuki who scored with a pair of game-changing right hands upstairs. Notshinga was clearly hurt as he turned around. Yabuki landed a final left hook while Nontshinga took a knee before taking down the count and exiting the round.

Nontshinga wasn’t so lucky as the bell rang to start the ninth. He tried to close the gap by targeting Yabuki with a left hook to the body. Yabuki responded with a left hook upstairs before a right hand drove Nontshinga into the ropes. Another right hand caused the second knockdown of the fight.

Nontshinga once again beat the count, but referee Mark Calo-oy expressed concern about the fighter’s condition. The action resumed, but not for long. Yabuki landed a final right hand that caught Nontshinga in the temple and knocked him down for the third time. The fight was immediately stopped as the fallen former titleholder was immediately treated.

Yabuki (17-4, 16 knockout), ranked No. 6 at 108, scored his biggest victory since a devastating upset of Teraji (23-1, 14 KO) to capture the WBC title. This reign was short-lived as he lost the belt to Teraji via third-round knockout in their March 2022 rematch.

Four victories – all by knockout – came to Yabuki, who is currently the only vigorous champion of the division. Teraji and Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez have moved up to the flyweight division and will fight for the flyweight titles this weekend. With their departure, places in the WBC, WBA and WBO belts became vacant.

On Sunday in Tokyo, the fight for the WBO belt between Shokichi Iwata (10-1, 7 KO) and Jairo Noriega (14-0, 3 KO) will be at stake.

Nontshinga (13-2, 10 KO) has suffered two defeats by knockout in his last three fights.

The clash with Yabuki was his fourth away fight in five fights. He won the IBF title in a thrilling twelve-round split decision over Hector Flores in September 2022 in Hermosillo, Mexico. The returning headliner had the opportunity to defend himself for the first time – in July last year after a twelve-round victory over Regie Suganob.

Then on November 4 in Monte Carlo, Nontshinga suffered a stunning first-round knockout defeat to Curiel. The IBF title returned home following a tenth-round knockout of Curiel in a rematch on February 16 in Oaxaca, Mexico.

His reign ended in the worst possible way as it is questionable whether Nontshinga will be able to safely return to the junior flyweight division. A move to 112 was considered for some time, although previously he had hoped to remain there long enough to reunite. Negotiations with Teraji and Gonzalez that began earlier this year unfortunately failed to reach an agreement as both ultimately left the division.

Nontshinga was seeking fights with both fighters after being ordered to face mandatory challenger Christian Araneta. Yabuki will inherit that obligation when Araneta is ready to return to the ring following an injury that delayed his first title shot.

Araneta previously lost a narrow decision to Nontshinga in a title qualifier in April 2021. Since then, he has won five in a row and moved up to the top spot in the competition.

Saturday’s fight was broadcast live on ABEMA-TV in Japan and on the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel in the rest of the world.

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Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev will fight for the undisputed lightweight heavyweight championship tonight at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad, Saudi Arabia. The fight is viewed as a boxer versus puncher, but it is actually a fight between two boxer-punchers to determine the top dog in the 175-pound division.

WBA lightweight heavyweight champion Bivol (23-0, 12 KO) has speed, mobility and the advantage of youth. Age may be a factor in this fight for 39-year-old Beterbiev as he is undergoing surgery on his right knee earlier this year. However, if he plays at the level he did against Callum Smith on January 13, Bivol will be in trouble. Beterbiev didn’t look vintage in this fight.

Tonight’s Beterbiev-Bivol fight will be broadcast live on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

“I like the rivalry between Eddie Hearn and Artur Beterbiev. Hearn knows the game and got people interested. He got under Beterbiev’s skin a little bit and showed us some venom,” said commentator Todd Grisham. Boxing of the highest order.

“Did Eddie Hearn upset him? Did he get under his skin? said Dev Sahni of Queensberry Promotions.

Beterbiev didn’t look furious when he asked Hearn why he talked so much about him during his recent press conference. He seemed more annoyed than anything else. Hearn often does this type of thing in an attempt to upset the players competing against his. He does this to support them, not just to pique fans’ interest.

“I think Beterbiev’s team bristles a little bit at the idea that it’s boxer versus brawler,” said journalist Chris Mannix. “We know Bivol is a very talented boxer, but Beterbiev’s team is right. He is an elite boxer in his own right. He is a two-time Olympian. He has a whole bunch of amateur medals.”

Fans see Beterbiev’s 20-0 record with 20 knockouts and naturally assume he’s a brawler, and he is. Beterbiev can box at times, but it’s a means to an end. He does this to prepare his opponents for strenuous shots that are meant to knock them out.

“He will touch you. He will regularly throw four- and five-punch combos. Artur Beterbiev has tons of boxing skills. At the same time, I think the 12 knockouts on Bivol’s resume are a bit misleading.

“I think he has more power than those 12 knockouts suggest. Bivol is the type of guy who rises to the level of competition.”

Bivol has good power, but rarely uses it because he always focuses on throwing quick combos and then moving away. He doesn’t position his legs to put weight on his punches. In Bivol’s last fight against Malik Zinadcaused a firestorm by landing 18 consecutive shots to the head, leading to the referee’s stoppage in the sixth round on June 1. Bivol had to land a lot of punches to get the knockout.

“They are both examples of Eastern European styles where you maximize your natural and physical capabilities,” coach Andy Lee said of Bivol and Beterbiev. “I look at the players to see if Beterbiev can make him turn around and back off. Will he be able to get him onto the ropes? What will he be able to do once he gets there?”

Bivol will withdraw if Beterbiev comes forward because that’s how he always fights. Bivol tends to give way when pushed by powerful punches because he doesn’t want to get hit. It will be intriguing to see what Bivol does when he runs out of real estate and is snapped up by Beterbiev. Will he fight or endure?

“With Bivol, I want to see if he can keep his hands up. Can he punch and make Beterbiev miss and then counter?” Lee said.

HAMZAH SHEERAZ believes Turki Alalshikh will pay the amount Chris Eubank Jr wants to fight the undefeated middleweight.

Sheeraz is in an enviable position. Talks are still ongoing about a potential fight with Eubank, but the 25-year-old also has the option of facing WBO world champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly or defending his European title against Denzel Bentley.

However, the fight with Eubank still appeals to Sheeraz, and when talking to him, he certainly seemed confident that they would fight one day.

“I think it will happen and if you ask me about it without His Excellency’s support, I will say no chance, no chance, but this is the man who is making it happen,” Sheeraz said.

“I feel like it is [Alalshikh] like this fight. Society demands it. Every time they interview Chris my name comes up and he doesn’t know where to look.

“He acts like he didn’t watch my last fight when he was in the ring. It’s engaging how he plays his cards, but we’ll definitely get in the ring.”

Eubank was actually at Wembley Stadium the night Sheeraz won the EBU title in the style we have become accustomed to. Tyler Denny only lasted two rounds after another demolition job from Sheeraz.

The champion’s promoter Frank Warren recently announced publicly that Eubank Jr had rejected a five million offer to fight Sheeraz. Is Eubank trying to price itself out?

“You can say that, but then His Excellency and the team will turn around and give him what he wants and then what he will do,” Sheeraz mused.

“Then you have to accept the fight this way. If he doesn’t do this, he will be dead in the water after this. I think from a business perspective he’s playing cards. I don’t blame him. Okay, cheerful days. He wants to make the most of his last years in the sport, but I think fighting me will definitely make sense.