Junto Nakatani Triumphs with Devastating Third-Round KO
Junto Nakatani defended his WBC bantamweight title by stopping David Cuéllar in the third round on February 24, 2025, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Nakatani entered as the unbeaten champion at 29-0 with 22 knockouts; Cuéllar was also unbeaten at 28-0 with 18 knockouts. The Mexican challenger had success early in round three, but Nakatani answered with a left hand that sent Cuéllar down, and the referee stopped the fight. The win made Nakatani 30-0 with 23 knockouts. The WBC’s official report confirms the third-round finish and title defense.
Nakatani arrived in Tokyo after a knockout-heavy run. In February 2024, he stopped Alexandro Santiago to win the WBC bantamweight championship; he then made defenses against Vincent Astrolabio and Tasana Salapat, finishing both by knockout. Those results brought him to 29-0 before the Cuéllar fight and made this title defense another chance to demonstrate the power that had carried him through the division. The WBC’s preview documented his three-fight 2024 campaign.
The stoppage followed a measured start. Nakatani, a tall southpaw, used his reach to set distance and picked his shots while Cuéllar looked to counter. Nakatani’s combinations had begun to land cleanly in the second round, but Cuéllar was able to fire back in the third before the champion found the decisive opening. It was a brief fight, yet it showed the danger Nakatani posed when he could make his length count. The victory was the third defense of his WBC bantamweight championship.
Cuéllar had built his undefeated record largely outside the spotlight, and this was his first professional loss. He tried to make the bout competitive with counters and forward pressure, but Nakatani’s speed and accuracy narrowed the time he had to respond. The ending came before Cuéllar could settle into a longer fight, with the champion turning a close exchange into a title defense in seconds. Nakatani’s record after the contest stood at 30-0, including 23 knockouts.
Nakatani then pursued the unification opportunity he had called for after the win. On June 8, 2025, he stopped IBF champion Ryosuke Nishida in the sixth round to unify the WBC and IBF bantamweight titles and claim The Ring championship. The Top Rank event report records the TKO and the unification. That victory extended his record to 31-0 and helped set up a move to super bantamweight.
After beating Sebastian Hernández by unanimous decision in December 2025 in his 122-pound debut, Nakatani met Naoya Inoue at Tokyo Dome on May 2, 2026. Inoue won the 12-round decision by scores of 116-112, 116-112 and 115-113, handing Nakatani the first loss of his professional career. The WBA’s report confirms the result and cards. Nakatani’s record now stands at 32-1 with 24 knockouts; the Cuéllar stoppage remains an early step in his rise from WBC champion to unified bantamweight titleholder.
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Tags: MMA
