Boxing Challenge

A special boxing challenge from Yokohama Japan from ESPN+ takes place at 4 AM with three of the top Japanese boxers in two title fights and a former pound for pound favorite returning to the ring.

The main event pairs middleweight Ryota Murata defending his minor title against Steven Butler of Canada.
Murata looked great in July in avenging his surprising loss to Rob Brant with a two-round pummelling of the Minnesota native.
Murata means big crowds in Japan and a victory could perhaps see some top middleweights ( even though all four champions at the weight aren't affiliated with Top Rank) interested in a large purse to fight Murata in Japan.
Canada's Butler is taking a major bounce up the competition ladder against Murata, who is the best opponent that he has fought, gave up the WBO's mandatory position for their champion Demetrius
Andrade to take on Murata.

WBC light flyweight champion Ken Shiro defends his title against Randy Petalcorin of the Philippines.
The exciting Shiro is the latest at 16-0 from Japan to dominate the light flyweight division.
Petalcorin lost in his last fight to IBF champion Felix Alvarado in seven, but steps in as a replacement for Alvarado in the fight that was initially planned to be a title unification fight.

Moruti Mthalane will put his IBF flyweight championship up and against Akira Yaegashi.
Yaegashi has held the minimum, light flyweight, and flyweight titles in the past, but has fought only twice in the two and a half years since losing in one round to Milan Melindo.
Mthalane of South Africa will be facing the best fighter of his career in the third defense of his title.

Eight rounders usually don't make the boxing challenge, but when you have a fighter that once held a top-five position in the pound for pound rankings, you notice and make exceptions.
Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez returns after a 15-month layoff following a fifth-round KO of Moises Fuentes.
The Fuentes fight is the only fight for Gonzalez since his stunning knockout loss to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in August 2017, so Gonzalez has fought just once in twenty-eight months.
Opponent Diomel Diocos is a journeyman at 14-5-3 but has only been stopped once by Daigo Higa, who once was one of the most exciting stars in the lower weight divisions.


Middleweights. 12 Rds
Ryota Murata vs Stephen Butler
R.L:  Murata KO 9
TRS: Murata KO 6

WBC Jr.Flyweight Title. 12 Rds
Ken Shiro vs Randy Petalcorin
R.L: Shiro Unanimous Decision
TRS: Shiro KO 8

IBF Flyweight Title. 12 Rds
Moruti Mthalane vs Akira Yaegashi
Both: Mthalane Unanimous Decision

Junior Bantamweights. 8 Rds
Roman Gonzalez vs Dionel Diocos
R.L: Gonzalez KO 6
TRS: Gonzalez Unanimous Decision