Masamichi Yabuki vs Felix Alvarado Preview Dec. 27th, 2025
Former IBF and WBC Light Flyweight Champion Masamichi Yabuki will be defending his IBF Flyweight Crown this Saturday, December 27th when he takes on former IBF Junior Flyweight Champion Felix Alvarado of Nicaragua. The 12-rounder takes place in Tokoname, Japan and can be seen on Abema in that nation. Alvarado last boxed exactly a year ago when he beat Tobias Reyes via a 12-round majority decision. Yabuki last fought in March when he stopped Angel Ayala in the 12th and final round to take his IBF Flyweight Belt. In his previous outing five months earlier Yabuki halted Siventathi Nontshinga in the ninth round to win his IBF Light Flyweight Title.
Yabuki vs Alvarado Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Felix Alvarado +285
- Masamichi Yabuki -400
My Pick
Yabuki is a solid 32-year-old pro with a record of 18-4 with 17 Ko’s with two of his defeats coming by way of stoppage. He’s just over 5-feet-5-inches in height with a 64.5-inch reach and has boxed just 104 rounds since making his pro debut in 2016 as he’s gone the distance just three times. This is because he possesses tremendous power as 94.4 per cent of his wins have come by knockout including his past six. The biggest of these victories was an upset 10th-round stoppage over fellow countryman Kenshiro Teraji in September, 2021 to win the WBC Light Flyweight Belt.
Things didn’t go too well in the rematch six months later though as Teraji avenged the defeat and took his title back by stopping Yabuki in the third round. Yabuki’s first defeat came at the hands of Junto Nakatani by four-round unanimous decision in 2016 and he was stopped two years later by Seigo Yuri Akui in just 92 seconds. His other loss also came in 2018 when he was edged via an eight-round split decision by Daniel Matellon. Since turning pro, Yabuki has also claimed the vacant Japanese Light Flyweight Title and has wins over Gilberto Pedroza and Ronald Chacon.
Alvarado is now 36 years old and carries around a mark of 42-4 with 35 Ko’s. His first career defeat came at the hands of Kazuto Ioka by unanimous decision in 2013 in a shot at the WBA Light Flyweight Title with his second defeat coming a year later to Juan Carlos Reveco, again by unanimous decision, this time for the WBA Flyweight Belt. Alvarado had two points deducted in that battle for low blows. He was beaten by Sunny Edwards via a close unanimous decision in 2022 in a shot at the IBF Flyweight Title. His last defeat came at the hands of Angel Ayala by 12-round unanimous decision in 2023.
Alvarado first met Ayala in 2023 and lost a controversial 12-round unanimous decision by scores of 114-113 across the board. The biggest win in Alvarado’s career came against Randy Petalcorin when he stopped him in the seventh round in 2018 for the vacant IBF Flyweight Title. He defended it against Reiya Konishi by unanimous decision and Dee Jay Kriel by 10th-round stoppage. He then vacated the title in March, 2022 to move back up to the flyweight division. He’s also beaten the likes of Miguel Tellez, Nerys Espinoza, Jose Aguilar, Karluis Diaz and Israel Vasquez.
At 5-feet-4-inches tall with a 67-inch reach, he gives up 1.5-inches in height to Yabuki but has a 2.5-inch edge in reach. Alvarado doesn’t match Yabuki’s knockout percentage but still boasts plenty of power of his own as 83.3 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage including five of his last seven but he’s gone the distance in his past two bouts and is 4-2 in his last six outings. Alvarado is one of the strongest boxers in the lower weight divisions and once went eight years without being beaten. He’s also a former Nicaraguan and WBC Latino Junior Flyweight Champion.
Prediction…
Yabuki rarely sees the finish line as he typically stops his opponent or is stopped himself and he’s taken on some of the top Japanese boxers of his era in Kenshiro Teraji, Junto Nakatani and Seigo Yuri Akui. He is a few years younger than Alvarado, who’s moving up in weight to try to win a title in a second weight class. Yabuki and Alvarado both possess a ton of power but Yabuki has been stopped twice and Alvarado has never been halted. I can see this going either way as it’s a tossup and it also has the potential to be a fight of the year candidate. I’m leaning towards Yabuki as he’s fighting at home but Alvarado had won 20 fights in a row with 18 of them coming by stoppage before losing to Sunny Edwards in 2022.
Yabuki takes this close brawl.
Play: Yabuki -400 @ BetOnline.ag
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Felix Alvarado betting • Masamichi Yabuki betting