Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KOs) wins a 12-round unanimous decision and retained the WBC world super bantamweight title at the MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas against Mexican favorite Rafael Marquez (40-7, 36 KOs). The Japanese fighter, Nishioka, return to the United States for the first time since 2006 and was a huge under dog.
“I thought I was ahead on points because I won the earlier rounds. But things happen. I’m going to keep going forward. I don’t feel like I deserved the loss and I’d love to have a rematch. I think I am the winner of the fight,” stated Marquez after the fight.
In the end, judges saw the fight 117-111, 116-112 & 115-113. Rumor is that Nishioka will find himself in a showdown with Nonito Donaire in 2012 but there’s also names like
Arce, Ramos, Rigondeaux and Vazquez Jr. who are all potential.
WBA light flyweight champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (30-0, 25 KOs), who scored a frightening second round KO over Omar Soto (22-9, 15 KOs) to retain his world title. An uppercut from the big-punching Chocolatito put Soto down for ten, and more at the :36 mark.