Ito goes the distance, champions retain, new regional Flyweight champion crowned
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Earlier today we had the first WHO'S NEXT DYNAMIC GLOVE on U-NEXT of 2025, and it was a very notable card, with a trio of regional title bouts, and a contest featuring a fast rising, and very hotly tipped 19 year old prospect.
The aforementioned teenager is Sento Ito (3-0, 2) [伊藤千飛] who recorded his third win, and saw the final bell for the first time. The hard hitting Ito was in with Filipino Alvin Camique (9-4, 4), and it was clear Camique wasn’t just in Japan to make up the numbers and fall down for Ito. Despite being there to fight, Camique was really out of his depth, with Ito picking him apart well with good jabs, whilst letting his heavier shots go as the bout went on. Camique made things awkward, and frustrated Ito at times, but was never particularly competitive despite some moments of success. In the end Ito was taken the distance, but was a comfortable winner against someone who was, essentially, the ideal opponent for him at this point in his career.
The first of 3 title bouts on the show saw WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight champion Kenji Fujita (8-0, 4) [藤田健児] record his second defense, and put on arguably his best performance as a professional, as he stopped hard hitting Filipino Michael Casama (10-3-1, 10). Through the bout Fujita showed his class, his high level of skills, and his amateur background, feinting well, leaving Casama second guessing himself, and landing hard left hands. Casama had the odd moment, notable with a right hook in round 5, but Fujita’s experience showed and he remained composed as he continued his stranglehold on the bout. In round 8 Casama was tagged by a hard left and Fujita seemed to know he had hurt his man, but couldn’t finish him off. In round 9 however Casama was in trouble throughout and his team pulled him from the contest between rounds 9 and 10.
The second title bout saw a new OPBF Flyweight champion being crowned, as Jukiya Iimura (8-1, 2) [飯村樹輝弥] over-came the previously unbeaten Filipino Lorenz Dumam-ag (10-1-1, 7), for the previously vacant title. Iimura took the initiative early on, using his body shots and work rate to put Dumam-ag on the backfoot. The Filipino managed to land some good counters, particularly in round 4, but was being outworked early on, with Iimura leading 40-36, and 39-37, twice, after 4 rounds. In the middle rounds the Filipino looked to match Iimura’s work rate, and we got some great back and forth, with Iimura suffering a cut over his right eye in round 6. Despite the cut Iimura managed to remain composed, using his footwork and jab to control the tempo. After 8 rounds the scores were 78-74, twice, and 77-75. Knowing he was behind, the Filipino put his foot on the gas late on, looking to keep his unbeaten record, and he had some of his best success, but Iimura managed to hold his own, having good success with his cleaner, crisper, more accurate shots. After 12 rounds, which had seen both men left cut, Iimura had done enough, with scores of 117-111 and 116-112, twice.
In the main event OPBF Featherweight champion Mikito Nakano (12-0, 11) [中野幹士] showed what he was all about, as he stopped Hiroki Hanabusa (13-4-5, 5) [英洸貴] in 3 rounds to record his first defense. The bout started tensely, as Hanabusa looked to land to the body, whilst Nakano looked to land his heavy land hands, landing one particularly good left to the body. In the second round the tempo picked up, as both had moments at mid range. Sadly for Hanabusa the clear edge in power proved to be the difference maker in round 3, as a left uppercut from Nakano scored the fight’s first knockdown. Hanabusa looked to bounce back from the knockdown, but took a spiteful right hook that dropped him for the second time. Hanabusa got to his feet, but the referee waved off the bout.
The aforementioned teenager is Sento Ito (3-0, 2) [伊藤千飛] who recorded his third win, and saw the final bell for the first time. The hard hitting Ito was in with Filipino Alvin Camique (9-4, 4), and it was clear Camique wasn’t just in Japan to make up the numbers and fall down for Ito. Despite being there to fight, Camique was really out of his depth, with Ito picking him apart well with good jabs, whilst letting his heavier shots go as the bout went on. Camique made things awkward, and frustrated Ito at times, but was never particularly competitive despite some moments of success. In the end Ito was taken the distance, but was a comfortable winner against someone who was, essentially, the ideal opponent for him at this point in his career.
The first of 3 title bouts on the show saw WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight champion Kenji Fujita (8-0, 4) [藤田健児] record his second defense, and put on arguably his best performance as a professional, as he stopped hard hitting Filipino Michael Casama (10-3-1, 10). Through the bout Fujita showed his class, his high level of skills, and his amateur background, feinting well, leaving Casama second guessing himself, and landing hard left hands. Casama had the odd moment, notable with a right hook in round 5, but Fujita’s experience showed and he remained composed as he continued his stranglehold on the bout. In round 8 Casama was tagged by a hard left and Fujita seemed to know he had hurt his man, but couldn’t finish him off. In round 9 however Casama was in trouble throughout and his team pulled him from the contest between rounds 9 and 10.
The second title bout saw a new OPBF Flyweight champion being crowned, as Jukiya Iimura (8-1, 2) [飯村樹輝弥] over-came the previously unbeaten Filipino Lorenz Dumam-ag (10-1-1, 7), for the previously vacant title. Iimura took the initiative early on, using his body shots and work rate to put Dumam-ag on the backfoot. The Filipino managed to land some good counters, particularly in round 4, but was being outworked early on, with Iimura leading 40-36, and 39-37, twice, after 4 rounds. In the middle rounds the Filipino looked to match Iimura’s work rate, and we got some great back and forth, with Iimura suffering a cut over his right eye in round 6. Despite the cut Iimura managed to remain composed, using his footwork and jab to control the tempo. After 8 rounds the scores were 78-74, twice, and 77-75. Knowing he was behind, the Filipino put his foot on the gas late on, looking to keep his unbeaten record, and he had some of his best success, but Iimura managed to hold his own, having good success with his cleaner, crisper, more accurate shots. After 12 rounds, which had seen both men left cut, Iimura had done enough, with scores of 117-111 and 116-112, twice.
In the main event OPBF Featherweight champion Mikito Nakano (12-0, 11) [中野幹士] showed what he was all about, as he stopped Hiroki Hanabusa (13-4-5, 5) [英洸貴] in 3 rounds to record his first defense. The bout started tensely, as Hanabusa looked to land to the body, whilst Nakano looked to land his heavy land hands, landing one particularly good left to the body. In the second round the tempo picked up, as both had moments at mid range. Sadly for Hanabusa the clear edge in power proved to be the difference maker in round 3, as a left uppercut from Nakano scored the fight’s first knockdown. Hanabusa looked to bounce back from the knockdown, but took a spiteful right hook that dropped him for the second time. Hanabusa got to his feet, but the referee waved off the bout.