Yukinori Oguni outlasts Marlon Tapales, hands former champ decision loss

Former unified super bantamweight world champion Marlon Tapales absorbed a unanimous decision defeat to Yukinori Oguni on Friday, April 3, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

After 10 rounds of action in the 122-pound division, the judges turned in scorecards of 96-94, 97-94, and 98-92, all in favor of the Japanese fighter.

The 34-year-old Tapales came out strong but was ultimately outworked down the stretch by Oguni, who closed the fight with better control.

Oguni’s steady diet of body shots began to take its toll in the seventh round. The 37-year-old Hyogo native drilled a stiff right hand to the midsection, forcing the Filipino to visibly grimace.

Moments before the end of the round, the referee called in the ringside physician to check a cut above Tapales’ right eyebrow, though he was cleared to continue.

From there, Tapales spent much of the final three rounds on the defensive, allowing Oguni to dictate the pace and pile up points.

The victory improved Oguni’s record to 24-4, while Tapales saw his four-fight winning streak snapped. The Sanman Boxing bet now holds a 41-5 professional slate.

—JKC, GMA News