By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

37-year-old South African Moruti Mthalane (39-2, 26 KOs), 112, retained his IBF flyweight belt when he finally caught three-division champ Akira Yaegashi (28-7, 16 KOs), 112, with the referee Mario Gonzalez’s intervention at 2:54 of the ninth round on Monday in Yokohama, Japan.

Utilizing his fast footwork, Yaegashi took the leadoff in earlier rounds. But Mthalane took back the pace and badly hurt the Japanese, 36, with heavier shots to the face and the belly from the seventh on. In the eighth round Moruti had Akira in serious trouble, pinning him to the ropes with heavy punches upstairs and downstairs. It was Mthalane in the fatal ninth that turned loose and almost toppled the groggy challenger, when the third man logically called a halt. Prior to the stoppage: Jonathan Davis (Philippines) 76-76, Kazutoshi Yoshida (Japan) 78-74 and Deon Dwarte (South Africa) 77-76, both in favor of Mthalane.

The strong winner said, “I expected the fight would go the distance, but I had him damaged in the seventh, when I was convinced of my victory. Yaegashi was a good and game fighter. In earlier rounds I took his punches, which didn’t seriously hurt me. I’d go on fighting to defend my belt as long as possible.”

Mthalane registered his third defense against all Japanese challengers—Masahiro Sakamoto (TKO10), Masayuki Kuroda (W12; 116-112 twice and 117-111) and Yaegashi. We have a very bright flyweight prospect Junto Nakatani, a tall and hard-punching southpaw whose unbeaten mark is 20-0, 15 KOs. Nakatani, still 21, is highly rated by all organizations, but is the crafty and hard-punching Mthalane a good target for him?

The crestfallen loser Yaegashi, who has fought in a give-and-take battles for fourteen years, gloomily said, “It might be time to consider my future, but just after the hard fight I’d like to have time to think over my future career.” Even if this is his last performance, we may admire him for his fighting spirit shown in every battle.

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