WBA interim 154-pound champion Nobuhiro Ishida (22-5-2, 7 KOs), 154, successfully kept his belt as he displayed his career-best performance, dropped Colombian challenger Oney Valdez (19-10-1, 14 KOs), 152.75, with a countering right to the temple in the tenth and pounded out a unanimous decision over twelve lopsided rounds on Tuesday in Osaka, Japan.

The official tallies were: Sergio Caiz (US) 119-108, Silvestre Abainza (Philippines) 117-110 and Wansoo Yuh (Korea) 118-109, all for the 34-year-old Japanese speedster. Valdez, also 34, took the initiative only in the fourth, and occasionally shifted to southpaw to frustrate the much taller champ in rounds four and five. But Ishida, with quick hands despite his lack of convincing power, accelerated his attack from the seventh onward and dominated the remainder with sharper combinations to confirm his initial defense.