Nonito Donaire suffered a split decision loss to WBA bantamweight champion Seiya Tsutsumi in Tokyo on December 17.
At 43, Donaire put up a strong fight against the 29-year-old Japanese champion, but two of the three judges favored Tsutsumi.
Donaire won 116-112 on one card, while Tsutsumi secured 117-111 and 115-113 to retain his title.
A victory would have made Donaire the third-oldest world champion in history, behind Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman.
With the loss, Donaire’s record fell to 43-9, while Tsutsumi improved to 13-0-3 with eight knockouts.
Source: PhilNews24 | December 19, 2025
NONITO DONAIRE DEFEATED VIA SPLIT DECISION BY JAPANESE OPPONENT
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