Denkaosen retains WBA flyweight title

There was no knockdown in the 12-round bout at the Osaka Central Gymnasium in Kameda's hometown.

Two of the three judges, American Levi Martinez and Silvestre Abainza of the Philippines, scored 115-113 in favour of the champion. American Sergio Caiz judged it a 114-114 draw.

The 33-year-old champion, seven centimetres shorter than Kameda, kept the 11th-ranked contender at bay with his one-two combination throughout the match. In the late rounds, he thwarted Kameda's attacks with crafty clinching.

Kameda, 20, who was banned for a year until October 2008 for misconduct in a world title match, connected a number of solid left blows to the Thai's body as he tried to bore in and catch him.

"My opponent was youthful. But I took advantage of my experience to fight 12 rounds," said the right-handed champion. "The decision was fair. My experience paid off. I want to defend my title again in Japan next time."