Masamichi Yabuki will get a home game, after all.
The defending IBF flyweight titlist’s oft-relocated mandatory title defense against Felix Alvarado will now take place on December 27 at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan. The new date and site are a welcomed change for Yabuki, who previously anticipated a long trip to Mexico per the terms of a purse bid won by Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions on behalf of Alvarado.
Instead, Yabuki will now return to the site where he became a two-time and three-time major titleholder in back-to-back fights. It also provides Japan with a title fight on home soil on a night where its top stars – including Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani – will appear on a Japan vs. Mexico themed show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Yabuki, 18-4 (17 KOs), will attempt the first defense of the 112lbs belt he pried from Mexico City’s unbeaten Angel Ayala on March 29. It was his second straight title-winning effort, which came five months after he dethroned Sivenathi Nontshinga to claim the IBF 108lbs strap last October 12.
The opportunity to challenge Ayala came with the exception that the winner would have to next face Nicaragua’s Alvarado, 42-4 (35 KOs), already the overdue mandatory challenger.
Yabuki honored that commitment, having asked for enough time to allow minor injuries sustained in the bout to fully heal before moving forward with the clash. He even abandoned his IBF 108lbs title reign to proceed with his forthcoming clash with Alvarado.
There initially existed the threat of a fallout when MP Promotions won the rights to the fight with a purse bid submission of just $30,000. Even with the favorable end of a 65-35 split, Yabuki stood to make just $19,500 for his first career fight outside of Asia.
It’s all a moot point, as it’s now Alvarado who once again must hit the road in a bid to become a two-division titlist.
The move is not of any concern to the 36-year-old Managua native, whose three career title fight wins have all come on foreign soil.
Alvarado traveled to the Philippines to claim the IBF 108lbs title with a 7th round knockout of Randy Petalcorin in October 2018. His first defense took place in Japan, fittingly enough, when he outpointed Reiya Konishi in a May 2019 win in Kobe.
His second and final title defense saw Alvarado tear through DeeJay Kriel in a January 2021 10th round stoppage in Dallas, Texas.
Alvarado will now fight for the third time in Japan. Well prior to his abovementioned May 2019 win over Konishi, Alvarado fell short to then-unbeaten Kazuto Ioka in their December 2013 WBA 108lbs title fight.
The move to flyweight has endured its ups and downs for Alvarado.
His lone title fight at the weight ended in a competitive but clear decision defeat to then-unbeaten IBF titlist Sunny Edwards in November 2022 on the road in Sheffield, England.
Two fights later, he suffered a highly questionable unanimous decision defeat to Ayala in an October 2023 IBF title eliminator in Merida, Mexico. Adding insult to injury was the fact that Alvarado was initially declared the winner before the ring announcer reversed course upon realizing his gaffe.
Three wins have followed for Alvarado, all in Managua. His last victory came in a hard-fought, majority decision over then-unbeaten Tobias Reyes in their IBF eliminator last December 27. His title opportunity now comes exactly one year later.
Yabuki enters the clash riding a five-fight win streak following his March 2022 knockout defeat to Kenshiro Teraji. The setback ended Yabuki’s brief stay as WBC 108lbs champ, an honor he claimed in a massive upset knockout win over Teraji in their September 2021 thriller.
All four of Yabuki’s career defeats have come against championship level opposition. Aside from Teraji, his setbacks suffered against Nakatani, Seigo Yuri Akui and Daniel Matellon occurred while all three were on the rise and years before they each won their first title.
