Who Is Masayoshi Nakatani? Did He Ever Win a Belt?

Masayoshi Nakatani, the 32-year-old Japanese boxer, is not yet a household name to the fight fans. However, the orthodox pugilist has already achieved some sheer heights in his professional career. That said, hardcore fans would never write off the Japanese lightweight from the mix.

Boasting of a 19-1 record, Nakatani, who has held the OPBF lightweight title multiple times, is yet to bag a world title. Meanwhile, as the Osaka native is highly prominent in the 135 lbs title ride, we might see him grab the gold soon.

Although it may not be an easy spot to attain, Masayoshi Nakatani has all the reasons to become a world champion. He is skilled, powerful, and fast, which turns him into problematic opponent for every other fighter in the weight class. So, here’s what you need to know about Nakatani.

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Masayoshi Nakatani- The power hitter

Despite having a decade of experience as a fighter, Nakatani has competed mostly in ‘The Land of The Rising Sun’. He grabbed the OPBF world title over there and successfully defended it 11 times. As it was time to earn global recognition, Nakatani finally moved outside the Japanese borders to advance his career. As he made the move to the USA, Top Rank Promotions came up with the right matchups for Nakatani.

He made his debut on US soil in 2019 against Teofimo Lopez and suffered the maiden defeat of his career in this bout. Hence, the beginning of his journey in the Staes wasn’t quite remarkable. However, Nakatani scored a massive TKO win against Felix Verdejo in 2020 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. With his performance, Nakatani comfortably raised his name in front of a global audience. It also fetched him the WBO Intercontinental lightweight strap.

As Nakatani is just 32, he has plenty of years left to see as a pro pugilist. He weighs around 135 lbs and has a 5’11 1/2″ height and a 71″ reach. Apart from the physical features, Nakatani’s professional statistics are also worth noting. The boxer has competed in 20 bouts, going for 140 rounds in total.

Nakatani has scored 13 KO wins in his career so far, amassing a 65% Knockout ratio. Hence, Box Rec has rightly ranked him the 8 best lightweight boxer in the world. While Nakatani continues to carry forward his journey, he will know that a win over Vasyl Lomachenko will see him earn bigger bouts ahead.

Do you see Masayoshi Nakatani becoming a world champion again?

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