Yudai Shigeoka


Yudai Shigeoka is a Japanese former professional boxer who held the World Boxing Council mini-flyweight title from 2023 to 2024. As of November 2023, he is ranked as the world's best active mini-flyweight by BoxRec.
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Early life

Yudai is the older brother of fellow boxer and also a world champion Ginjiro Shigeoka.

Amateur career

While attending the Kaishin High School, Shigeoka won four national titles as a pinweight. In 2018, Shigeoka won the All Japan Boxing Championship as a light flyweight, and reached the finals of the World University Championships in Russia, once again as a light flyweight. Shigeoka intended to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games while attending the Takushoku University, but decided to drop out of university and become a professional after the junior flyweight division was expunged from the Games. Shigeoka was given his professional boxing license on August 1, 2019. He finished his amateur career with a record of 82–10, with 20 victories coming by way of stoppage.

Professional career

Shigeoka made his professional debut on 30 October 2019, against Manop Audomphanawari, at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. He won the fight by technical knockout in the second round, dropping Manop with repeated body shots at the 2:16 minute mark. Two months later, on 10 December 2019, Shigeoka was scheduled to face the reigning OPBF minimumweight champion Lito Dante in a six-round non-title bout. He won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 59–55, 60-54 and 59–55.
Shigeoka was scheduled to fight Ryu Horikawa for the vacant Japanese Youth light flyweight title on 11 February 2021, after a fourteen-month layoff. He won the fight by a fifth-round technical knockout. Horikawa was first knocked down with a left straight in the third round, and once again in the fifth round. Following the second knockdown, referee Akihiko Katsuragi decided to wave the fight off. Shigeoka vacated the title on August 2, 2021.
Shigeoka was scheduled to face the former OPBF minimumweight champion Tsubasa Koura for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific mini flyweight title on 12 November 2021. It was Shigeoka's first career twelve round bout. Koura was furthermore seen as a huge step up in class compared to his previous opponents. Shigeoka won the closely contested fight by majority decision, with two judges scoring the fight 115–113 in his favor, while the third judge scored the fight as a 114–114 draw. Shigeoka was booked to make his first title defense against the #10 ranked challenger Cris Ganoza on July 7, 2022. Shigeoka won the fight by a third-round knockout, after dropping Ganoza with a left hook to the body, which left him unable to beat the ten-count.
Shigeoka faced the #1 ranked Japanese minimumweight contender in a Japanese title eliminator on 17 November 2022. The bout was later upgraded to a vacant Japanese title bout, as Shigeoka's brother Ginjiro vacated the belt on 29 July. He won the fight by a third-round knockout. Shigeoka vacated the title on 2 December 2022.

Shigeoka vs. Méndez

Shigeoka was expected to challenge Petchmanee CP Freshmart for the WBC mini-flyweight title on 23 April 2023, at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. The title fight was booked as the headliner of "3150Fight Vol. 5", which was to be broadcast by Abema TV. Petchmanee withdrew from the fight on April 4. Shigeoka was rescheduled to face the former WBO mini flyweight champion Wilfredo Méndez for the interim WBC title instead, with the winner being designated as a mandatory challenger for Petchmanee. Shigeoka knocked Méndez down late in the fifth round and at the 0:25 minute mark of the seventh round, which proved to be the final strike of the fight, as the Puerto Rican boxer was unable to rise from the canvas in time to beat the count.

Shigeoka vs. Pradabsri

Kameda Promotions successfully won a purse bid, held by the World Boxing Council on 7 August 2023, for a title unification bout between Shigeoka and full champion Panya Pradabsri, with a bid of $213,000. Shigeoka captured the title by unanimous decision, with scores of 117–111, 119–109, and 119–109. During the post-fight press conference, Shigeoka revealed he had broken both his hands in the fifth round of the contest.

Shigeoka vs. Jerusalem

On March 31, 2024, in Nagoya, Japan, Shigeoka was scheduled to make the first defense of his WBC minimumweight title against Melvin Jerusalem. Shigeoka was dropped in the third and sixth rounds en route to losing a split decision to the former world champion Jerusalem.

Retirement

In August 2025, Shigeoka announced his retirement to focus on supporting his brother Ginjiro, who has been in a coma since a boxing match in May 2025.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
11Loss9–2Melvin JerusalemUD1230 Mar 2025Aichi Sky Expo, Tokoname, JapanFor WBC mini-flyweight title
10Win9–1Samuel SalvaUD1028 Aug 2024Yamato Arena, Suita, Japan
9Loss8–1Melvin Jerusalem1231 Mar 2024International Conference Hall, Nagoya, JapanLost WBC mini-flyweight title
8Win8–0Panya PradabsriUD127 Oct 2023Ota City General Gymnasium, Ōta, JapanWon WBC mini-flyweight title
7Win7–0Wilfredo MéndezKO7, 0:2516 Apr 2023Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, JapanWon interim WBC mini-flyweight title
6Win6–0Tatsuro NakashimaKO3, 1:2017 Nov 2022Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanWon vacant Japanese mini-flyweight title
5Win5–0Cris Ganoza3, 0:596 Jul 2022Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, Kumamoto, JapanRetained WBO Asia Pacific mini-flyweight title
4Win4–0Tsubasa Koura1212 Nov 2021Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanWon vacant WBO Asia Pacific mini-flyweight title
3Win3–0Ryu HorikawaTKO5, 2:4211 Feb 2021Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanWon vacant Japanese Youth light-flyweight title
2Win2–0Lito Dante610 Dec 2021Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
1Win1–0Manop Audomphanawari2, 2:1630 Oct 2021Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan