WBA Super Flyweight champion Nobuo Nashiro (13-1-1, 8 KOs), 115, kept his belt as he battled a grueling fight en route to a split draw (116-112, 112-116 and 114-114) with former 108 pound ruler Hugo Cazares (30-6-2, 22 KOs), 114, over hard-fought twelve rounds on Wednesday in Osaka, Japan.

It was a see-saw affair in the first eight sessions, but Nashiro went forward and scored with solid straight rights to the fading Mexican down the stretch.

The audience believed in Nashiro’s victory, but the officials might have evaluated Cazares’ better volumes of punches, if not accurate, in earlier rounds.

The last round saw Nashiro explode a very strong right to the face to have Cazares staggering to the ropes.