Yoshiki Takei once again faced a harsh reality at the upper echelon of the bantamweight division, narrowly escaping defeat with a strong finish against a relentless Daigo Higa. The unbeaten WBO bantamweight champion won by scores of 115-112, 114-113, and 114-113 in their co-featured bout on ESPN+ at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday.
The clash between these two Japanese RING contenders served as a thrilling lead-up to the main event between Naoya Inoue and TJ Doheny. Yokohama native Takei (10-0, 8 KOs), ranked No. 4 at 118 pounds by The Ring, found himself pushed to the limit for the second consecutive fight. He had previously endured a tough battle during his title-winning bout against Jason Moloney (27-3, 19 KOs) on May 6, where he barely survived the final round.
This time, Takei adopted a more measured and cautious approach, perhaps overly so, allowing Tokyo’s Higa, ranked No. 10 at 118 pounds, to seize some of the closer rounds. The action began to heat up in the second and third rounds, with Higa—a former WBC flyweight champion—showing resilience and a willingness to trade punches. Takei delivered sharper, cleaner blows, while Higa’s shots, although less refined, still caught the eye of the judges.
A particularly striking moment came when Takei executed a beautiful combination, finishing with a right uppercut. However, his aggression left him vulnerable, and Higa capitalized with a left hook that landed squarely.
The momentum swung dramatically in Higa’s favor during the latter half of the fight. Takei found himself on the defensive, relying on his durability as Higa relentlessly pressed forward. In the eighth round, Higa trapped Takei against the ropes, pummeling him as the WBO champ struggled to regain control and cope with swelling around his right eye.
A controversial moment in the eleventh round almost derailed Takei’s title defense. Higa landed a right hand that staggered Takei, who then slipped on the ring’s center logo after Higa connected with a left hook behind the head. Although it appeared to be a slip, the referee ruled it a knockdown, putting Takei behind on two of the three judges’ scorecards.
Facing adversity, Takei opened the final round with determination, unleashing powerful shots that had Higa pinned against the ropes. A combination early in the round snapped Higa’s head back, but Takei was careful not to exhaust himself, mindful of his stamina issues from his previous fight against Moloney. Despite being battered, Higa (21-3-1, 19 KOs) managed to survive the round and almost went down in the closing seconds.
Takei’s late surge proved decisive on the scorecards, turning what could have been a split decision loss into a successful first title defense. However, his performance underscored that there is still much to improve upon if he hopes to continue thriving in a highly competitive division.
Currently, Takei is one of four Japanese fighters holding bantamweight titles. Junto Nakatani (28-0, 21 KOs), who is rated No. 1 at 118 pounds by The Ring and No. 9 in the pound-for-pound rankings, holds the WBC title. Ryosuke Nishida (9-0, 1 KO) is the IBF champion, ranked No. 2 at 118 pounds, while Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5 KOs)—Naoya Inoue’s younger brother—reigns as the WBA titleholder.
Takei’s victory, while narrow, keeps him in the mix among Japan’s elite, setting the stage for even more exciting showdowns in the bantamweight division’s packed landscape.
