Masamichi Yabuki made a point to move up in weight in his quest for nothing but big fights from here on out. 

The gamble reaped major rewards for the 32-year-old, who became a two-division titlist with a 12th-round stoppage of unbeaten Angel Ayala to win the IBF flyweight title. Yabuki scored three knockdowns before a final attack forced referee Katsuhiko Nakamura to stop the fight at 1:54 of the final round Saturday at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan. 

Yabuki entered the fight as a two-time and reigning IBF junior flyweight titlist and in the midst of a four-fight knockout streak. His quest to become a double-division titleholder brought him back to the same venue where he regained his IBF belt less than five months ago.

Ayala welcomed the challenge, which marked his first fight outside of Mexico. The road trip and the payday that came with it was a welcomed alternative to a less lucrative mandatory title defense against Nicaragua’s Felix Alvarado, a former IBF 108-pound beltholder. 

Despite the payday, it also resulted in Ayala’s first career defeat and the end of his title reign.

Yabuki set a violent tone early in the fight. He pushed through a combination from Ayala to land a left hook which forced the first of three knockdowns on the night. Ayala beat the count in time to make it out of the opening round, but found himself back on the canvas in the second round and already in a deep hole on the scorecards. 

The night went from bad to worse as a clash of heads left Ayala with a gruesome cut along his right eye and his face a gory mess for the rest of the night. Yabuki was also affected by the development, though his cut was in a more favorable place just under his right eye.

Momentum remained with Yabuki throughout the first half of the fight, in stark contrast to the visual of his blood-soaked trunks. 

Ayala fought through the sight of his own blood and pushed forward at the start of the second half of the fight. He struggled to get out of the way of Yabuki’s right hand, one of which snapped back his head. Ayala later responded with a jab and a right hand down the middle. Yabuki landed a flush right hand inside the final thirty seconds, which Ayala took well and waved in his challenger. 

A terrific two-way exchange broke out at center ring in the eighth. Ayala appeared to hit his stride after landing a combination upstairs. Yabuki disallowed the momentum shift and connected both upstairs and with a left hook to the body. 

Yabuki connected with a right hand at the start of the ninth round. It set the tone for a violent attack that disallowed Ayala to ever get in effective punching range. The shots upstairs worsened Ayala’s cuts as he was also forced to absorb wicked left hooks and right hands to his ribs. 

The trend continued into the tenth, though Ayala was able to close the gap in the eleventh. Enough jabs were able to get through to worsen the cut under Yabuki’s right eye as blood masked the faces of both fighters. 

Yabuki’s corner waved its arms in the air to draw a rise out of the partisan crowd prior to the start of the twelfth and final round. 

The momentum boost was enough for Yabuki to close the show, even if the writing was already on the wall.

Ayala sought a miracle turnaround to preserve his title reign but never found the opening. Yabuki put an end to any hope of that when a right hand sent the visiting titlist to the canvas for the third time. 

Ayala beat the count but was trapped along the ropes during Yabuki’s ensuing attack before he was rescued by the referee. The ending sent Yabuki into celebration mode and the crowd into a frenzy. 

Saturday’s setback was the first for Ayala, 18-1 (7 KOs), in addition to ending his brief title stay. He won the belt via sixth-round knockout of Dave Apolinario last August 9 at home in Mexico City.

On the other side of the equation, 18-4 (17 KOs), won his third major title across two weights as he extended his current five-fight win streak. All five victories have come inside the distance, including two straight fights where he has dethroned a reigning titlist. 

Yabuki took the IBF junior flyweight title from Sivenathi Nontshinga via ninth-round knockout last October 12 in this very venue. He now has a decision to make as to which belt he plans to keep.

A mandatory title defense looms no matter which direction he turns. Yabuki pursued this fight as an exception to his ordered bout with the Philippines’ Cristian Araneta. Similarly, former IBF junior flyweight titleholder Felix Alvarado—against whom Ayala was previously instructed to defend his title—was asked to stand down for this fight, with the promise of getting a shot at the winner.

Even that scenario differs from Yabuki’s hope of nothing but big fights for the remainder of his career. Among them was a desired rubber match with Kenshiro Teraji, also a two-division titlist, who recently unified the WBC and WBA flyweight belts in his own 12th-round knockout of Segio Yuri Akui in their Fight of the Year contender on March 13 in Tokyo. 

Saturday’s title fight aired live on Japan’s ABEMA-TV.