René Santiago – The New WBO Light Flyweight Champion

On March 13 in Tokyo, Japan, René Santiago (14-4, 9 KOs) faced Shokichi Iwata (14-2, 11 KOs) for the WBO light flyweight title (49 kg).

The bout went the full 12 rounds, with the judges' decision crowning Santiago as the new WBO champion.

For Iwata, this was his first title defense, having won the belt in autumn 2024 by defeating Jairo Noriega. Meanwhile, Santiago entered the fight as the reigning WBO International champion—and now walks away with full world title honors.