In a rematch Panya Pradabsri retained his WBC strawweight title on an eighth-round stoppage against Norihito Tanaka in Rayong, Thailand, on Wednesday.
Pradabsri scored with a counter left hook in the first round that sent the 38-year-old Tanaka down.
However, Tanaka beat the count and took the fight to the champion, who was having his first in ten months.
In round two both fighters stood toe-to-toe throwing combinations.
Pradabsri hurt the challenger on several occasions in the third round with some uppercuts.
Tanaka came back in the fourth round as he took the fight to the champion who began to slow down.
According to the WBC rules the three judges had the champion ahead with scores of 40-35 and 39-36 twice after four rounds.
Tanaka was cut over the right eye as the champion began to dominate even though he possibly won the seventh round.
The challenger showed heart in round eight but was being battered before his corner threw in the towel.
This was Pradabsri’s fourth defence as he improved his record to 40-1; 24 and Tanaka’s record dropped to 20-10; 10.
This was his third defeat in his last four fights.