Andrew Moloney Dethrones Willibaldo Garcia To Capture IBF World Title In Japan

Andrew Moloney finally got his moment.

After years of setbacks, controversial defeats and near misses at world level, the Australian travelled to Japan and left with the IBF Super Flyweight World Title around his waist after edging out Willibaldo Garcia Perez in a hard-fought battle.

Elsewhere on the card, Masamichi Yabuki strengthened his position at flyweight, while Luis Nery and John Riel Casimero produced exactly the kind of entertaining fight many expected.

Main Event: Andrew Moloney vs Willibaldo Garcia Perez

Andrew Moloney (29-4-0) is a world champion once again after defeating Willibaldo Garcia Perez (23-7-2) by majority decision over 12 rounds to claim the IBF World Super Flyweight title.

This was not a comfortable night’s work. Garcia made Moloney earn every second of it and there were rounds throughout the fight that could easily have gone either way.

Moloney’s sharper work and consistency proved enough in the eyes of the judges, but it was the sort of fight where neither man left much in reserve. The Australian had spoken about this opportunity being years in the making and when the final scores were read, the emotion told the story.

A huge moment in Moloney’s career and a deserved reward for sticking around long enough to get another crack at world honours.

Other World Title Fight

Masamichi Yabuki (20-4-0) made a statement by stopping Rene Calixto (24-2-1) via TKO in round 12 to retain the IBF World Flyweight title.

The fight was competitive for long stretches, but Yabuki found another gear late on. With the finish coming in the final round, it was a cruel ending for Calixto after a brave effort, but there was no arguing with the result once the referee stepped in.

Key Undercard Fights

Luis Nery (38-2-0) outpointed John Riel Casimero (35-6-1) by unanimous decision over 10 rounds. Nery had missed weight beforehand, but inside the ring he looked sharp and did enough to earn the verdict against the experienced Filipino.

Aoi Yokoyama (5-0-0) kept his unbeaten record intact with a unanimous decision victory over Vince Paras (25-5-1) after eight rounds. A useful step up in opposition and another solid win for the prospect.

Non-Title Undercard

Shuri Oka (8-1-0) handled business against Adilet Kachkynbekov (1-2-0), taking a unanimous decision after six rounds.

Seiya Meguro (7-2-1) earned a points victory over Nurzhigit Dyushebaev (0-3-1) across six rounds in the opening bout of the evening.

Closing Thoughts

The headline belonged to Moloney. After everything he’s been through in the sport, winning a world title in Japan against a reigning champion is a pretty special way to write the next chapter.