Kobori claims lightweight crown

Yusuke Kobori has claimed the WBA lightweight title after defeating champion Jose Alfaro by a technical knockout in Tokyo.

Alfaro fails in first title defence

Yusuke Kobori has claimed the WBA lightweight title after defeating champion Jose Alfaro by a technical knockout in Tokyo on Monday. The knockout came two minutes and eight seconds into the third round and also came after Nicaraguan Alfaro had put together a combination of left hooks and a right straight to floor Kobori in the second. But the Japanese fighter retaliated with a left hook to send Alfaro down - the referee stopping the bout when Kobori unleashed a series of blows soon after Alfaro had regained his feet. "I'm very happy. He (Alfaro) was really strong, but I was a bit stronger mentally," Kobori said. The 26-year-old, ranked seventh in the WBA, was making his first attempt to claim a world title and also improved his record to 23 wins, including 12 KOs, against two defeats and a draw. Alfaro, 24, failed in his first defence of the title he won in December. His record now stands at 20 wins, including 18 KOs, against four defeats and one invalid bout.