Vince Paras avenges loss to Hiroto Kyoguchi by unanimous decision in South Korea

Filipino flyweight contender Vince Paras gained a measure of revenge on Saturday, defeating former two-division champion Hiroto Kyoguchi by ten-round unanimous decision at Paradise City in Incheon, South Korea.

All three judges scored the fight for Paras (21-2-1, 15 knockouts) – 97-93, 97-93, 96-94. Paras has now gone 7-0-1 in his last eight fights since losing back to back decisions to Kyoguchi for the IBF strawweight title and a domestic clash with Jonathan Taconing in 2018.

Kyoguchi (18-2, 12 KOs) reacted with disbelief when Paras was announced as the winner while Paras celebrated by embracing the ring card girls, as he customarily does after the fight.

The fight featured many torrid exchanges as Paras pushed forward with clubbing punches to the head and body, while Kyoguchi (18-2, 12 KOs) tried to slow him down with counterpunching. While Kyoguchi landed the flashier punches, it was Paras who was the aggressor in most instances, refusing to slow down and fight at a pace that favored Kyoguchi.

Kyoguchi, 30, of Tokyo, Japan loses for the first time since his seventh round stoppage loss to Kenshiro Teraji in 2022, snapping a two fight win streak. Kyoguchi had previously held the IBF strawweight and WBA junior flyweight titles.

Paras, 25, of General Santos City, Philippines now hopes a big win over a fighter who was rated no. 2 by the WBA and no. 4 by the IBF at 112 pounds earns him a world title opportunity, preferably against WBA titleholder Seigo Yuri Akui (20-2-1, 11 KOs), a Japanese fighter who has made one defense of the title he lifted from Artem Dalakian in January.

“Paras really wanted this for a long time. He trained hard and got his revenge,” said Paras’ promoter Jim Claude Manangquil of Sanman Promotions. “We want the flyweight world champion [Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez]. Akui is a good match, too.”

In other action, former WBO strawweight titleholder Masataka Taniguchi (18-4, 12 KOs) continued his comeback from his title fight loss in January of 2023, stopping Filipino journeyman Jaysever Abcede (22-14, 13 KOs) in round 5. Taniguchi, 30, of Tokyo, Japan has won two straight since losing his world title to Melvin Jerusalem by second round stoppage.