Kameda loses, 'Cosplay fighter' wins

Images: REUTERS/Toru Hanai / FEG inc.

Japan's Koki Kameda has lost his WBC flyweight title to hard-hitting former champion Pongsaklek Wongjongkam. Kameda, a brash and polarising figure in Japan, predicted a 'reign of terror' when he took the title from countryman Daisuke Naito four months ago, but his reign ended abruptly at his first defence.

The fighters clashed heads at the start of the fifth round, opening a cut above Kameda's right eye which bled throughout the remainder of the fight. Of the two, Pongsaklek looked more in control and shook Kameda a number of times, most notably in the 11th and 12th rounds. The 32-year-old Thai was awarded the fight 116-112 and 115-112 by two of the ringside judges, with the third surprisingly scoring the contest even at 114-114. It was Kameda's first defeat in his 23 professional fights.

Cross-dressing fighter prevails

If asked to picture a cross-dressing otaku, the image of a champion kick-boxer is probably not the first one that springs to mind, but that is exactly what new K-1 Japan Champion Yuichiro Nagashima is.

Nagashima entered each of his three fights wearing a dress and wig, thronged by a bunch of similarly dressed otaku supporters, but if his opponents thought he was a joke, they were in for a shock. First up was Yuji, who Nagashima knocked out in the first round. Next up was Ryuji, who was dispatched in similar fashion - also in the first round.

The sport that K-1 fighters practise is usually shown beneath their names as they are announced on TV, and Nagashima once again sets himself apart by listing not kick-boxing or Muay-Thai as one would expect, but anime. Regardless, he is becoming a regular on the K-1 scene and if he can improve his stamina and defence more, he could be a serious contender.

His third and final bout was against up-and-coming youngster Hiroki Nakajima and it was clear from the opening bell that it wasn't going to be decided on points. The first and second rounds were slugfests that left both fighters tired and sluggish. The end finally came in the final round when Nagashima caught Nakajima with a right counter, putting the young fighter on the canvas and the trophy into the 'cosplay fighter's' hands.