By Jake Donovan
Niyomtrong "Knockout" CP Freshmart played with fire in all but giving away the final round of his strawweight bout with visiting Carlos Buitrago, but managed to edge out a decision over 12 rounds Wednesday afternoon in Buriram, Thailand.
Scores were 115-113 across the board for Niyomtrong, who is now in line to face the winner of the strawweight title fight between Hekkie Budler and Xiong Zhao Zhong later this month.
Buitrago began the night like a boxer well-versed in the art of fighting on the road. The interim title fight marked the third straight time the unbeaten strawweight was forced to fight outside of his native Nicaragua, with the last two starts ending his winning ways.
Still, it didn't start off that way as the diminutive boxer was quicker to the punch while Niyomtrong struggled to keep pace. The hometown favorite, who just celebrated his 24th birthday while finishing up training camp less than two weeks ago, assumed control in round two, but momentum swayed back and forth all afternoon.
There was a strong case to be made for the fight being even on all three cards midway through, but Niyomtrong slowly began to assume control over the course of the second half of the fight. Buitrago never stopped trying, avoiding the Thai's most devastating punches and sticking his jab often enough to draw swelling around Freshmart's right eye.
Buitrago's fate was ultimately decided in rounds 10 and 11, as Niyomtrong dialed up the pressure. The majority of rounds appeared close to the naked eye, but the local strawweight plugged away until he had no more to give.
It appeared that moment for Niyomtrong came at the start of round 12, as he was running on fumes. Buitrago closed strong, fighting like a visiting boxer determined to sway the judges. It made the fight that much closer in the end, but the earlier lead proved insurmountable.
Niyomtrong advances to 9-0 (5KOs) with the win, picking up an interim title belt for his efforts. The Muay Thai boxer made as smooth a transition to the sport as any fighter in recent memory; his previous eight bouts were all scheduled for eight rounds, beginning with his winning a Youth title in his pro debut just over two years ago.
Buitrago suffers his first defeat, falling to 27-1-1 (15KOs). The loss comes on the heels of his first non-winning effort, a split decision draw versus Merlito Sabillo in his first title bid last November in Philippines.
On both occasions, there was a case to be made for Buitrago deserving the win and remaining undefeated. Neither fight could be classified as a robbery, just that several rounds were that close. At age 22, there is plenty of time for the Nicaraguan boxer to bounce back and still have his say in the division.
As for the fight itself, it's the latest in a string of top-shelf strawweight battles taking place in a golden era for the lower weight classes in general.
Earlier this summer, Francisco Rodriguez Jr. edged Katsunari Takayama in an unforgettable strawweight title unification bout that remains the leading contender for 2014 Fight of the Year.
Niyomtrong is not quite fully in the title fray, but his win puts him right at the edge of the thick of things. Later this month, Budler travels to Monaco for a second straight time, this time defending against former titlist Zhao Zhong.
Two weeks later, Oswaldo Novoa - who beat Zhao Zhong to win his version of the strawweight crown - travels to Thailand to face unbeaten top contender Wanheng Menayothin.
Also on Wednesday's card, Palangpol CP Freshmart (4-1, 4KOs) waged war with Indonesia's Tommy Seran (24-2, 15KOs) in a 108 lb. bout whose final verdict was never announced on television, as the network cut away to the next scheduled TV show.
Both bouts aired live on Channel 7 in Thailand, and also streamed live on its online service.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as the Records Keeper for the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and a member of Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
