20 Facts About Masataka Taniguchi

Masataka Taniguchi is a Japanese professional boxer who held the WBO mini-flyweight title from 2021 to 2023.

Masataka Taniguchi challenged the reigning OPBF mini-flyweight titlist Tsubasa Koura on 11 November 2017.

Masataka Taniguchi won the fight by a third-round technical knockout.

Masataka Taniguchi was next scheduled to face Reymark Taday on 8 February 2018, and won the fight by a sixth-round technical decision.

Masataka Taniguchi fought Joel Lino for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific mini-flyweight title on 13 November 2018.

Masataka Taniguchi was scheduled to face the undefeated prospect Kai Ishizawa on 21 September 2019.

Masataka Taniguchi was scheduled to fight Hizuki Saso for the vacant Japanese mini-flyweight title on 3 December 2020.

Masataka Taniguchi won the fight by a tenth-round technical knockout, and was awarded all nine prior rounds by two of the three judges, while the third scored eight of the nine rounds for Taniguchi.

Masataka Taniguchi made his first Japanese mini-flyweight title defense against Tatsuro Nakashima on 7 June 2021.

Masataka Taniguchi dominated the bout, winning all four rounds prior to the fifth-round technical knockout of Nakashima.

Masataka Taniguchi first knocked Mendez down with a left straight in the second round, which put him in an early point lead, which was made greater after Mendez was deducted a point in the sixth round for excessive holding.

Masataka Taniguchi upped his output in the eleventh round, forcing referee Nobuto Ikehara to stop the fight with a flurry of punches to which the cornered Mendez did not respond.

Masataka Taniguchi was booked to make his first WBO mini-flyweight title defense against Kai Ishizawa on 22 April 2022, in the main event of PBX Phoenix Battle 87, which was broadcast as a pay per view by Abema TV.

The bout was a rematch of their 21 September 2019 meeting, which Masataka Taniguchi won by unanimous decision.

Masataka Taniguchi retained the belt by an eleventh-round technical knockout, forcing a referee stoppage with a flurry of punches at the 2:29 minute mark of the penultimate round.

Masataka Taniguchi was scheduled to make his second WBO championship defense against the one-time WBC mini-flyweight title challenger Melvin Jerusalem.

Masataka Taniguchi was dropped with a one-two combination near the beginning of the round and remained unsteady on his feet despite beating the ten-count, which prompted referee Roberto Ramirez Jr.

Masataka Taniguchi made his light flyweight debut against the former OPBF and Japanese light flyweight champion Kenichi Horikawa on 5 August 2023, at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan in the main event of a U-Next broadcast show.

Masataka Taniguchi revealed that he had suffered a broken jaw in the fifth round during a post-fight interview.

Masataka Taniguchi fully recovered by the end of February 2024, when he was permitted by his physician to train and spar at full intensity.