Ryota Murata successfully defended his WBA middleweight title with a fifth-round technical knockout of Steven Butler on Monday night.
And if one of the sport’s most influential figures gets his wish, Murata will have an even bigger bout on home soil in the first half of next year.
The London Olympics middleweight gold medalist took control of the Yokohama Arena ring from the opening bell with his signature fighting style — pressing his opponent and landing heavy blows.