Dina Thorslund outboxes Terumi Nuki to retain unified bantamweight title

Dina Thorslund made sure there would only be one bantamweight title changing hands this week.

The fighting pride of Scandinavia retained her WBC/WBO bantamweight titles on Friday, defeating Terumi Nuki by unanimous decision at Graakjaer Arena in Holstebro, just 15 minutes away from her home in Struer, Denmark. All three judges scored the fight 99-91, marking her third successful defense of the unified 118-pound title, and eighth title defense overall.

From the outset, it was clear that the 31-year-old Thorslund (23-0, 9 knockouts)  had the better technique, getting her combinations off and using her footwork to step out of harm’s way from the returning fire of Nuki (15-6, 10 KOs), a determined but outclassed challenger from Kobe, Japan. There were no knockdowns, though Thorslund had stunned Nuki once in the fourth round with an uppercut.

The loss leaves Nuki 0-4 in world title fights, and snaps a three-fight winning streak for the 36-year-old.

The win leaves very little left for Thorslund to accomplish, though she told reporters afterwards that a showdown with former IBF featherweight titleholder and fellow Dane Sarah Mahfoud (14-2, 3 KOs) would be an interesting matchup to make. According to Danish outlet DR.dk, Thorslund has a tentative agreement to compete next year in an international tournament, though the details of the tournament were not disclosed. 

The Thorslund-Nuki fight was billed as being the last for Thorslund on home soil, though she says that it may have been her final bout ever if that tournament doesn’t come to fruition.

“For five or six years I have said that I will stop shortly. But now I’m at a place in my life where I’m ready for it. I have fought my ass off for nine years as a professional, and it always comes at the expense of something else, and that is life,” Thorslund told DR.dk.

The fight was the second women’s bantamweight title match this week, following Shurretta Metcalf’s unanimous decision win over Miyo Yoshida on Wednesday to lift the IBF 118-pound title in New York City.