Tsutsumi Defeats Donaire in Championship Bout

On December 17 in Japan, 43-year-old Filipino Nonito Donaire faced local WBA Bantamweight champion Seiya Tsutsumi. The confrontation lasted all 12 rounds.

The fight ended with Tsutsumi’s victory by split decision.

For Donaire (43-9, 28 KOs), this is the third defeat in his last four fights. Before returning to the ring in 2025, Nonito had a break — he had not boxed since 2023. Tsutsumi (12-0-3, 8 KOs) secured his first victory this year. In his previous duel, Seiya boxed to a draw against Daigo Higa.