WBC world minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem successfully defended his title for the second time, defeating Yudai Shigeoka via unanimous decision on Sunday at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan.
Coming off a win over Luis Castillo last September in Mandaluyong, Jerusalem once again displayed superior conditioning, throwing relentless flurries while absorbing body shots without hesitation.
Shigeoka aimed for a knockout, throwing power punches throughout the fight, but failed to land a decisive blow to shift momentum. After twelve rounds, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Jerusalem: 119-109, 118-110, and 116-112.
With the victory, Jerusalem improved his record to 24-3 (12 KOs), while Shigeoka dropped to 9-2 (5 KOs).