Ra’eese Aleem made sure to come up big on the road this time around.
The hard-luck American challenger produced a terrific boxing display as he upended previously unbeaten Mikito Nakano. The scores were 115-112, 116-111 and 118-109 for Aleem in their IBF 126lbs final elimination contest on Monday at the Toyota Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
“I’ve been chasing a world title fight for the longest,” Aleem said afterwards. “I’ve fought like four or five title eliminators but I feel like I finally punched my ticket.”
Nakano’s rise to contention has come at a deliberate pace rather than the ambitious sprint enjoyed by many of his countrymen during Japan’s golden era in the sport. Once a highly touted amateur, he struggled early with activity before significantly picking up the pace in 2025. Monday marked his fourth fight of the year and he looked sharp in the opening round. He was quicker to the draw and pinned down Aleem with straight shots, although both boxers seemed to benefit from the feel ‘em out type of pace they set.
Aleem, 22-1 (12 KOs), boasted the much stronger pro pedigree but also entered the ring with something to prove in just his second pro fight outside the US. His lone other road trip resulted in his first career defeat – a 12-round, unanimous decision to Sam Goodman in 2023 in Broadbeach, Australia.
Needless to say, he came to Tokyo on a mission to prove he still belongs in the title picture.
The Michigan native – who lives and trains in Las Vegas – made key adjustments which allowed him to control the pace in rounds two and three. His constant movement was the perfect remedy to Nakano’s reliance on angles to effectively land his combinations. Aleem was comfortable punching on the fly.
Nakano struggled to solve Aleem’s perpetual motion, though never to the point where he was overwhelmed by the American. His straighter shots represented the more eye-catching sequences, which could only help during swing rounds. There were several from which to choose in the middle of the fight, because neither boxer succeeded in retaining a sense of momentum.
Aleem would effectively clinch after landing shots from the outside, on the occasions where his footwork alone wasn’t enough to avoid the incoming. Nakano connected with straight left hands throughout the back half of the seventh, though often one at a time, given his inability to pin down his fleetfooted opponent.
Aleem connected with a right hand and then used lateral movement to keep Nakano off rhythm in the eighth. Nakano continued to follow Aleem around the ring and paid the price when a right hand over the top snapped back his head. The rare occasion where they met at close quarters resulted in a cut over Aleem’s left eye following a clash of heads.
The high-octane engine of Aleem continued to frustrate Nakano, though the unbeaten contender improved on his timing in the ninth round. His straight left hand on occasion managed to catch Aleem, though never to the point of permanently shifting momentum in his favor. Rather, it was Aleem who enjoyed the fight’s most dramatic moment which came late in the 10th round.
Nakano grew braver in coming forward in the hopes of landing a game-changing left hand. Several found the mark but he also left himself open for Aleem’s counters. The most damaging sequence came late in the frame, when a right hand from Aleem sent Nakano to the canvas for the bout’s lone knockdown.
Aleem stuck with what worked best as the fight entered the final two rounds. Nakano continued to stalk him but was reduced to the role of plodder as he remained a punch behind during the majority of the exchanges. Aleem connected with a right hand late in the round and was already out of punching range before Nakano could get a counter left out of the chamber.
The crowd attempted to rally behind Nakano at the start of the 12th and final round, because it was clear he needed a knockout. Aleem constantly used angles to slip Nakano’s jab and left hand, but it didn’t always work out that way – Nakano landed a left midway through the final frame.
Aleem was briefly stopped in his tracks but mustered the strength to respond with a right hand. He struggled to regain his legs while Nakano went on the hunt for the final minute. Aleem was wise enough to clinch when necessary, which was enough to make it to the bell and complete the minor upset.
“I had to be locked in every round,” he noted of the discipline that went into his performance. “He’s a very strong puncher, so I just had to stay focused.
Nakano, 14-1 (13 KOs), suffered his first career defeat. It remains to be seen what’s next for the 30-year-old southpaw, because his lack of notable competition, coupled with Monday’s performance, suggests an uphill battle to rise to the top.
Meanwhile, Aleem, 23-1 (12 KOs), finally changed his luck, fittingly after changing his team.
“I want to give a huge shoutout to Manny Pacquiao Promotions,” he said, fittingly with the ubiquitous Sean “VIVA” Gibbons directly over his shoulder. “They believed in me when nobody else would.”
Aleem will wait out IBF 126lbs titlist Angelo Leo’s voluntary title defense against South Africa’s Lerato Dlamini on February 21 in Leo’s hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Nakano-Aleem served as the chief support to the Tenshin Nasukawa-Takuma Inoue WBC 118lbs title fight.
