Chris John of Indonesia retained his WBA featherweight title with a technical draw against Japanese Satoshi Hosono on Sunday.
After a cautious first round which ended without a significant blow being landed, there some fierce punches traded in the second.
However, American referee Rafael Ramos stopped the scheduled 12-round bout in the third round after the 32-year-old John sustained two cuts - on the right forehead and left temple - due to a head butt.
It was John's 18th title defense, having earned the belt in 2003 by defeating Oscar Leon of Columbia.
''Frankly, I'm not so satisfied with this victory because I could not show what I have achieved from my extensive training,'' said John, who has now held a world title for longer than any other boxer in activity.
''Hopefully, I will be able to fight again,'' he said.
Sunday's loss was the third for 29-year-old Hosono in his struggle to claim the WBA featherweight title.
The victory extended John's record to 48-0-3 (22 KOs) while Hosono's fell to 23-2-1 (17 KOs).
In an earlier bout, South African Simpiwe Vetyeka became the new IBO featherweight champion after defeating another Indonesian, Daud Yordan, with a technical knockout just before the end of their 12-round contest.
