Picasso came forward early in the opening round, but Inoue controlled the distance with his jab. In the second round, Inoue opened up with a two-fisted attack while Picasso fought back and had moments of success. In the third round, Picasso forced Inoue to the ropes briefly, only to be countered cleanly as Inoue continued to land the more effective punches.
The fourth round continued with Picasso pressing and Inoue countering. In the fifth, Picasso landed a left hook to the chin early, and Inoue answered with a right hand later in the round. Midway through the sixth, Picasso landed a three-punch combination, though Inoue closed the round with sustained offense that appeared to swing momentum back in his favor.
Inoue continued to bank rounds in the seventh, while Picasso remained competitive without doing enough to take control. In the eighth, Inoue began to relax, dropping his hands at times, using feints, and landing clean shots after drawing Picasso in. His bodywork began to show effect. In the ninth and tenth rounds, Inoue largely dictated the action, though Picasso landed a notable left to the body late in the tenth.
Late Rounds: Inoue Closes Strong
Picasso had moments in the eleventh, backing Inoue up briefly, but was again countered to the head and body. In the twelfth and final round, Picasso continued to press with his hand raised, but Inoue’s power and accuracy carried the exchanges. Inoue’s left hooks to the body were particularly effective down the stretch. Judges scored the fight 120-108, 119-109, and 117-111. Raul Caiz Jr. served as referee. Inoue was presented with a Ring Magazine belt following the bout.
Co-Main Event: Nakatani vs. Hernandez
In the co-main event, IBF and WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani retained his titles with a disputed decision over Sebastian Hernandez after twelve rounds.
The opening round was competitive, with Nakatani landing the cleaner left hands. Hernandez came forward in the second round with a high guard and limited output, before Nakatani rocked him late with a left hand over the top. Nakatani continued to score with left uppercuts and counters in the third, again hurting Hernandez in the closing seconds.
Hernandez responded in the fourth by maintaining pressure and finishing the round strongly. The fifth marked Hernandez’s best round to that point, as he worked the body and forced exchanges. In the sixth, Nakatani landed a late flurry that brought the crowd to life, though Hernandez closed the round with a final punch.
Hernandez took the seventh with increased output and carried that momentum into the eighth, backing Nakatani up while absorbing counters. In the ninth, Nakatani rallied early, but Hernandez finished the round with sustained offense. By the tenth, Hernandez had Nakatani holding late, and in the eleventh, Nakatani fought on with his right eye nearly closed as Hernandez continued to press.
Disputed Decision at Bantamweight
The twelfth round saw Hernandez chasing Nakatani around the ring, forcing clinches and exchanges. Nakatani’s right eye was swollen shut at the final bell. Many observers felt Hernandez had done enough to at least secure a draw. Judges returned scores of 115-113 twice for Nakatani, with a third card reading 118-110. Deon Dwarte officiated.
Garcia Scores Knockdown in Lightweight Bout
At lightweight, world-ranked southpaw Eridson Garcia edged Japanese standout Taiga Imanaga by split decision over ten competitive rounds. Imanaga had success early, landing clean left hands and combinations, while Garcia began to assert himself midway through the bout.
Garcia took control in the later rounds and scored a knockdown in the eighth with a right hook that appeared to be the difference on the cards. Imanaga showed resolve, coming back strongly at points, but Garcia closed the fight with the more effective work. Scores were 96-93 Garcia, 95-94 Garcia, and 95-94 Imanaga.
Tsutsumi Stops Quintana in Fourth
Rising super bantamweight prospect Reito Tsutsumi stopped Leobardo Quintana at 1:14 of the fourth round of a scheduled six. Quintana switched stances early and applied pressure, drawing blood from Tsutsumi’s nose, but Tsutsumi stunned him late in the first and continued to trade in a competitive second and third.
In the fourth, Tsutsumi landed a clean left followed by two right hands to the chin, sending Quintana down. Referee Danrex Tapdasan waved the fight off without a count.
Michael Buffer handled introductions for the main event, with Thomas Treiber serving as ring announcer.
