Undefeated Japanese former world champion, Junto Nakatani, made his super bantamweight debut by securing a narrow hard fought unanimous decision victory over the gritty tough as nails Mexican fighter Sebastián Hernández this Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Nakatani, who finished the bout with a swollen right eye, won the fight with two scorecards of 115-113, while a third card of 118-110 sparked surprise and criticism due to its wide margin. Hernández applied pressure throughout the twelve rounds, throwing high volume and forcing Nakatani to fight on the inside for long stretches of the bout.

Nakatani started strong, utilizing his reach, footwork, and uppercut to establish an early lead. However, from the midpoint of the fight onward, Hernández managed to close the distance and force constant exchanges, turning the bout into a physically gruelling battle.

With this victory, Nakatani improves his record to 32-0, 24 Kos (24 KOs) and keeps the door open for a mega showdown with Naoya Inoue.