Anthony Olascuaga arrived in style.
The two-time title challenger is now a first-time beltholder after a third-round knockout of Riku Kano. A hybrid left hook-uppercut put Kano down for the full ten count at 2:50 of round three Saturday at Ryoguko Kokugikan in Tokyo.
With the win, Olascuaga claimed the vacant WBO flyweight title.
“That’s the punch that my coach [Rudy Hernandez] said would be successful tonight and it hit,” Olascuaga said after the fight. “It was very successful.