Скачать или смотреть KNOCKOUT! Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler Full Fight Highlights HD

Naoya Inoue is now the undisputed bantamweight champion of the world, which probably won’t last very long, after knocking out Paul Butler on body shots in the 11th round.

Butler, who came in defending the WBO title against Inoue’s WBC, WBA, and IBF belts, mostly was in survival/defensive mode throughout the bout. He looked very game early, but once Inoue (24-0, 21 KO) flashed his speed and power, Butler (34-3, 15 KO) became very tentative, and to be fair to him, also came in with the clear game plan to not get run over early, staying defensively responsible.

Butler also ate a lot of body shots along the way that probably could have stopped other opponents, and have in the past. As the rounds wore on, past the fifth or so, Inoue became arrogant, daring Butler to actually throw back and give him some openings. At one point, he did the old Roy Jones Jr, putting his hands behind his back and sticking his chin out. Butler did nothing about it.

In the 11th, Inoue finally just decided to pour on the serious pressure again, and body shots felled the Brit. Butler tried to get up, but there was just no getting up. The fight was stopped at 1:09 of round 11, technically a TKO because the referee didn’t complete the 10-count, but it was a proper knockout.

“I finally became the undisputed bantamweight world champion,” Inoue said via interpreter. “It’s been a long journey for me. I was able to make this goal of becoming undisputed world champion. Now, I’m considering going up to super bantamweight.”

Inoue also expressed appreciation to Butler for coming to Japan and giving him the chance for an undisputed title fight, something he’d wanted in previous weight classes but never got. Inoue also said he was happy to fight longer than normal, though it did not seem that way during the fight.

It was expected that Inoue would go up to 122 lbs after this, which means he will vacate all four belts and leave them scattered to the sanctioning bodies to appoint vacant title fights, with every chance Butler will get to fight someone else for the vacant WBO belt at 118.