Nakatani Knocks Out Cuellar in the Opening Rounds

On February 24 in Tokyo, Japan, Junto Nakatani (30-0, 23 KOs) successfully defended his WBC bantamweight title (118 lbs / 53.5 kg) for the third time, scoring a knockout victory over Mexico’s David Cuellar (28-1, 18 KOs).

The fight ended in the third round. Nakatani initially struggled to find his ideal range, but once he did, Cuellar had no chance. The Japanese champion first sent his opponent to the canvas before sealing the win with a decisive finishing shot.

Nakatani moved up to the bantamweight division in early 2024 and has since racked up stoppage victories over Alejandro Santiago, Vincent Astrolabio, and Tasana Salapat. This fight marked Cuellar’s first professional bout outside of Mexico.