Daigo Higa scored a first-round knockout of Mexico's Moises Fuentes to win the second defense of his WBC flyweight title on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Higa, improved to 15-0 in his pro career with every win coming by knockout. Fuentes, the ninth-ranked challenger and a former world champ, saw his pro record drop to 25-5 with one draw.
The fight in Okinawa Prefectural Budokan in Naha, the next city over from Higa's hometown of Urasoe, started with both fighters landing jabs and combinations. But about two minutes in, the 32-year-old Fuentes began to stagger.
With 33 seconds left in the round, Higa bludgeoned him with a left and added a right just before Fuentes dropped to his knees and refused to get up.
"I came into this fight looking for a knockout, so I guess it's cool that I did just that," Higa said. "I'm happiest about being able to have a fight at home."
Higa's 15 straight knockouts ties the record for a Japanese boxer held by Tsuyoshi Hamada and Akibee Ushiwakamaru, and extends Higa's Japanese record for most consecutive knockouts to start a pro career.