A literal last-minute knockdown was just enough for Antonio Vargas to preserve his title reign.
The visiting WBA 118lbs titlist from Kissimmee, Florida lodged his first successful defense as he and Tokyo’s Daigo Higa fought to a twelve-round, unanimous draw. Judges Pawel Kardnyi, Byung-Mu Kim and Ignacio Robles each scored the contest 113-113 in the co-feature of a DAZN/U-Next title fight tripleheader Wednesday from Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan.
Vargas – a 2016 U.S. Olympian - entered the fight as the underdog, even though he was the reigning titlist facing a challenger whose last victory came 19 months ago.
Watching from ringside were lineal, WBC and IBF champ Junto Nakatani and former WBA titlist Seiya Tsutsumi, who is now the WBA ‘Champion in Recess.’
The visiting WBA titleholder took advantage of Higa’s low outpoint in the early rounds and boxed his way to a productive early start. Neither boxer landed much of conviction, which worked to Vargas’ advantage as the superior technician.
Higa attempted to pick up the pace in the third. The former WBC 112lbs titlist used his jab to set up long right hands, though often coming up a little short. Vargas remained defensively responsible and found modest success with his jab and right hands to the body.
That all went out the window in the fourth. Higa slammed home a left hook that sent Vargas to the canvas. It was by far the most impactful moment by either boxer to that point, and lit a fire under Higa.
Vargas beat the count and tapped into his experience during these situations. He was dropped early in each of his previous two outings and came back to win both via stoppage. That included a tenth-round knockout of unbeaten Winston Guerrero to win the WBA interim title last December.
With that, Higa’s momentum quickly faded as Vargas landed a left hook and right hand upstairs. Higa landed a right hand, which Vargas followed with a three-punch flurry just before the bell.
Higa controlled the pace in the fifth. Vargas was forced to play defense for much of the round, while Higa sought any opening to land his power shots.
Both boxers continued to target the other’s body in the sixth. Higa worked his way inside and threw his left hook around Vargas’ tight guard. Vargas responded in kind, though his attack took place from the outside as he made proper use of his height and reach advantage.
Higa tried to close the gap in the eighth after being outboxed by Vargas in the preceding round. Vargas did his best to smother Higa’s punches when the two were on the inside and then returned to the jab to keep Higa at his desired distance.
Two-way action broke out in the ninth, initiated by Higa in his best effort to seize control. Vargas fared well during those moments but was forced to defend against Higa’s winging, purposeful right hands. Higa blocked a left hook and continued punching until he found an opening for a chopping right around Vargas’ guard.
Vargas fired a double left hook to open the tenth. Higa tied up his younger American foe but was unable to offer anything in response. The greater activity came from Vargas, though Higa was able to score with digging body shots and landed the heavier blows. Higa connected with a left hook late which stopped Vargas in his tracks, though the titlist remained upright.
The championship rounds saw Vargas control the pace. Desperation hadn’t quite set in for Higa, though he was clearly in danger of coming up short for the third straight time on the title stage. Vargas was mindful of every incoming shot, including a right hand he took on the chin before he responded with a right and a left hook.
Higa was breathing heavy between rounds before he climbed off his stool for the start of the 12th and final frame. Vargas effectively negated Higa’s offense and was quicker to the draw during close quarter exchanges. One of several clinches resulted in both fighters tumbling to the canvas, which was ruled a slip.
Vargas, 19-1-1 (11 KOs), avoided a road loss with a knockdown near the final minute of the fight. A counter left hook sent Higa reeling, which prompted a mandatory eight count from referee Leszek Jankowiak. It wasn’t enough to prevail on the scorecards, though just enough for Vargas to return home with his title in tow.
“It wasn’t the outcome I wanted, though it is officially a title defense,” Vargas said after the bout.
Higa, 21-3-3 (19 KOs) vowed to retire if he failed to claim a bantamweight title in his third consecutive attempt.
He went tooth and nail with WBO titlist Yoshiki Takei, only to suffer a twelve-round, split decision last September in Tokyo. Higa then held Tsutsumi, 12-0-3 (8 KOs) to a draw in their brutal February 24 clash in Tokyo.
The fight left Tsutsumi unable to move forward with an ordered title consolidation bout with Vargas, who entered 2025 as the reigning WBA interim 118lbs titleholder. He was upgraded to full titleholder when Tsutsumi reported to the WBA that he was physically unable to meet the deadline for the mandatory title fight.
It appears he is now ready to reclaim the belt he lost outside the ring.
“Sorry to interrupt your moment,” Tsutsumi told Vargas, through translator Mizuka Koike. “Right now, we have two WBA champions and another in progress [WBA interim titlist Nonito Donaire]. So, we have to unify these titles into one.”
Vargas was equally on board for that fight as well as a return bout with Higa.
“That sounds good,” responded Vargas. “I would like to fight [Tsutsumi], he is a great champion. He got cut in his last fight, I was supposed to fight him. But, he’s a respectful champion and I would like to make that fight happen.”
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene
