Giemel Magramo (left) and Aoi Yokoyama (right) during their official weigh-in. | Yokoyama’s Instagram photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines—While Filipinos celebrated Melvin Jerusalem’s successful world title defense in Japan, another Filipino fighter, Giemel Magramo, experienced a contrasting fate in the same country.
Magramo, a former world title challenger and ex-World Boxing Organization (WBO) Global Flyweight champion, suffered a unanimous decision loss to Japanese newcomer Aoi Yokoyama in his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) super flyweight title defense last March 29.
The judges unanimously awarded Yokoyama the victory with lopsided scores of 117-111, 117-111, and 118-110 after 12 rounds of action.
With the loss, Magramo saw his two-fight winning streak come to an end. He won the OPBF title last year after defeating fellow Filipino Denmark Quibido. Magramo’s record now stands at 30 wins (23 by knockout) and five losses.
Meanwhile, Yokoyama extended his perfect record to 3-0 (1 KO). Interestingly, he also secured a unanimous decision win over Quibido last year.
Yokoyama imposed his dominance with a relentless volume of punches, forcing Magramo on the defensive. While the Filipino started strong with crisp jabs and straights, the Japanese fighter gradually found his rhythm, utilizing lateral movement and pinpoint combinations to take control of the fight.
As the bout progressed, Yokoyama’s superior work rate and accuracy became evident. He effectively used his speed to land sharp jabs while unleashing close-range combinations whenever Magramo engaged in toe-to-toe exchanges.
In the later rounds, Yokoyama’s sustained pressure and well-placed punches left little doubt about the outcome, securing him a decisive victory over the seasoned Filipino contender.
Magramo joined other Filipino boxers who lost their fights in Japan over the weekend, including Jeo Santisima, Jake Amparo, and Reycar Auxilio.
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