Masamichi Yabuki

Masamichi Yabuki is a Japanese professional boxer who has risen from domestic contender to world champion across two weight divisions. An orthodox fighter from Nagoya, Yabuki competes at flyweight and stands 166 cm with a 164 cm reach. His pro record stands at 20-4-0 with 18 stoppage wins, and he is the reigning IBF world flyweight champion, having captured the belt in March 2025 and retained it subsequently. Yabuki turned professional in 2016 and made an early impression with a string of first-round stoppages. His second year featured his first setback, a unanimous decision loss to Junto Nakatani, but he responded by re-establishing his power and finishing ability. The first half of Yabuki’s career was marked by frequent early-round stoppages and learning fights against domestic and international opposition; notable early defeats to Seigo Yuri Akui (2018 TKO) and Daniel Matellon (2018 split decision) provided distance and experience that he would put to use later. A career milestone arrived in July 2020 when Yabuki stopped Tsuyoshi Sato in the first round to claim the vacant Japanese light-flyweight title. He made a successful domestic defence later that year, winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Toshimasa Ouchi. Building on that domestic platform, Yabuki earned the biggest win of his career to date in September 2021 when he dethroned WBC world light-flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji via 10th-round TKO, claiming a world title in dramatic fashion. That victory demonstrated Yabuki’s capacity to carry power and finishing instincts into championship rounds. Yabuki’s time at the WBC light-flyweight top was brief; he lost the rematch to Teraji by third-round knockout in March 2022. He regrouped with a series of stoppage victories over regional opposition and key wins that rebuilt his standing, including late stoppages of Ronald Chacón (2023) and Kevin Vivas (2024). In October 2024 Yabuki added another world-level accolade by stopping Sivenathi Nontshinga to win the IBF world light-flyweight title. He then moved up to flyweight and on March 29, 2025 scored a 12th-round TKO over Ángel Ayala to capture the IBF world flyweight title. Yabuki has defended that IBF flyweight belt twice, stopping Félix Alvarado by 12th-round knockout in December 2025 and retaining via 12-round unanimous decision against Rene Calixto in June 2026. Yabuki’s career path is defined by power, resiliency and a willingness to move between light-flyweight and flyweight to pursue world honours. With 18 stoppages in 20 wins and three world-title victories on his résumé (WBC light-flyweight in 2021, IBF light-flyweight in 2024, and IBF flyweight in 2025), he sits among the notable Japanese fighters of his era and is the active IBF world flyweight champion.