By Joe Koizumi

WBA flyweight champ Kazuto Ioka (22-1, 13 KOs), 112, successfully kept his belt as he pounded out a unanimous decision (117-110 twice, 116-111) over Thailand’s Noknoi Sithprasert (62-5, 38 KOs), 112, over twelve fast rounds on Sunday in Osaka, Japan. Ioka maintained the initiative almost all the way with his economic way of fighting to hit without getting hit. Ioka was penalized a point for having hit low in round three, but kept battering the Thai challenger’s breadbasket so effectively that Ioka had him at bay in the tenth and eleventh rounds. Noknoi’s durability was beyond description. The referee was Raul Caiz Jr (US).