Mar 1, 9:02 pm EST
TOKYO (TICKER) —Jose Luis Varela was no match for Yutaka Niida.
Niida retained his WBA minimumweight title Saturday with a sixth-round knockout of Varela at Korakuen Hall.
Making his seventh defense of the belt after regaining it from Noel Arambulet in July 2004, Niida (23-1-3, 9 KOs) floored the challenger in the third round before sending Varela down for the count at 2:16 of the sixth with several devastating body shots.
“Really hurt me,” Varela said of Niida’s punches. “I couldn’t endure it when Niida battered my body.”
“I know my real power has increased through six defenses, and I wished to show it to the crowd,” Niida said.
The 29-year-old native of Yokohama originally had won the WBA crown in August 2001 but vacated it less than two months later in order to retire. He returned to the ring against Arambulet in July 2003 but failed in his bid to regain the belt.
Following a victory over Phalangchai Sor Voraphin five months afterward, Niida scored a unanimous decision over Arambulet on July 3, 2004 and has been unstoppable ever since.
For Varela (15-4), it was his third loss in six fights. The 29-year-old Venezuelan also had a no-contest against Oscar Martinez due to an accidental head butt during that span.
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