Lito Dante's Fantastic OPBF Win in Photos from the Camera of Naoki Fukuda (FIGHT PHOTOS)
By Carlos Costa
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 02 Apr 2019
Sunday night in Yokohama marked one of Filipino Lito Dante's most rewarding victories in his long boxing career.
A knock out win over an undefeated promising boxer, ranked by the WBC as the world's # 3 fighter, claiming the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title in the land of Japan are the ingredients of a fantastic, laudable achievement for the veteran warrior from Bohol.
The Filipino Lito Dante (16-10-4, 8 KO's) overpowered the heavy-handed Japanese champion Tsubasa Koura (14-1, 9 KO's) in the twelve and final round to capture the OPBF Minimumweight Belt Sunday, March 31, in Yokohama, Japan, and fight fans here in the Philippines are still delighted and appreciative for the stunning win.
The climax of the dramatic battle unfolded in the combat's last round when Lito Dante unleashed a serious of violent unanswered right hooks over Koura, propelling the Nippon boxer wounded and groggy backwards towards the ropes near Japanese own red corner.
Right there, Lito Dante intensified his furious attack, giving it all, hurting the Koura even further with more damaging blows, all of them to the head, which prompted third man Tetsuya Iida to waive the fight off to spare Koura of unnecessary punishment. Official time of the stoppage was 1:18 in round 12.
All the while, award-winning boxing photographer Naoki Fukuda -- in my humble opinion the best boxing photographer in the world -- was at ringside taking photos of the exciting action, and here is his phenomenal work.
Thank you for sharing with Filipino Boxing fans your fantastic, dramatic photos of the victory of Boholano Lido Dante. Dōmo arigatō, どうもありがとう, sir!
Isn't the triumph of Lito Dante in Yokohama awesome? And, isn't Naoki Fukuda one heck of an amazing boxing photographer, perhaps the best in the planet?
Photos courtesy of Naoki Fukuda
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Carlos Costa.
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