Masamichi Yabuki will go through with his presented road trip, even with the paltry purse assigned to the task.
BoxingScene has confirmed that Yabuki’s mandatory IBF flyweight title defense against Felix Alvarado will proceed as planned. The bout will take place on November 22 in Hermosillo, Mexico.
It will mark Yabuki’s first career fight outside of Asia. His lone other pro contest to take place outside his native Japan came in a January 2019 knockout win in Daegu, South Korea.
However, it was a likely reality that he would have to gather his passport once promotional rights to the fight were claimed by Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, representing Alvarado in talks. MPP submitted $30,000 as the lone bidder for the 112lbs title fight, which will be split 65-35 in Yabuki’s favor.
There initially existed concern that Yabuki, 18-4 (17 KOs), would instead vacate his title rather than travel across the world for a $19,500 payday. However, the two-division titleholder – who already relinquished his IBF 108lbs title earlier this year – has committed to the assignment.
Yabuki claimed the IBF flyweight title with a 12th-round knockout of unbeaten Angel Ayala. Their March 29 bout – staged in Yabuki’s home region of Tokoname, Japan – saw Yabuki floor Mexico City’s Ayala three times to ultimately force the stoppage and become a three-time two-division titleholder.
The bout was made possible when Nicaragua’s Alvarado, 42-4 (35 KOs), agreed to step aside with the promise that he would be guaranteed a shot at the winner.
Yabuki entered the fight with Ayala as the reigning IBF 108lbs titleholder – and with a mandatory title defense due against the Philippines’ Christian Araneta waiting on the other side. A 33-year-old knockout artist, Yabuki subsequently confirmed to BoxingScene that he would abandon his 108lbs reign to remain at flyweight and face Alvarado once fully healed from minor injuries.
Alvarado has won three in a row since a controversial defeat against Ayala in their October 2023 IBF flyweight title eliminator on the road in Merida, Mexico. Strangely, Alvarado – a former IBF 108lbs titlist – was announced as the winner before the ring announcer corrected his call and revealed that Ayala had instead claimed a narrow unanimous decision victory.
The setback came less than a year after Alvarado dropped a competitive but clear unanimous decision to then-unbeaten IBF 112lbs titlist Sunny Edwards. Their November 2021 bout saw Alvarado offer a spirited effort but fall short against the supremely gifted British boxer in the latter’s hometown of Sheffield, England.
Alvarado, 36, has fought at home in Managua for each of his past three starts – all wins. His most recent victory – a 12-round, majority decision over then-unbeaten Tobias Reyes last December 27 – secured Alvarado’s place as next in line for the IBF 112lbs title.
Overall, Alvarado is 5-2 in his current flyweight stint after a near three-year stay as the IBF junior flyweight titlist. He vacated the belt to campaign at flyweight after failing to secure unification bouts at the lower weight.
All four of Yabuki’s career defeats have come against championship level opposition. His losses to Junto Nakatani, Seigo Yuri Akui and Daniel Matellon occurred while all three were on the rise and years before they each won their first title.
The most recent defeat suffered by Yabuki came in his March 2022 rematch with Kenshiro Teraji. Yabuki defeated his countryman six months prior via tenth-round knockout to claim the WBC 108lbs title in a major upset. His reign ended in their next meeting, which saw Teraji prevail via third-round stoppage to regain his title.
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.
