Sam Goodman Outworks Ryosuke Nishida for Interim IBF Title

The official scores were 116-109, 115-110 and 114-111. Goodman improved to 23-1 with eight knockouts, while Nishida fell to 11-2.

Goodman gave the taller southpaw little room to settle behind his reach. He stepped forward from the opening bell, threw a straight right and left hook to get close, then worked Nishida’s body and brought uppercuts through the middle. Nishida landed hard left hands, including a notable shot in the fourth, but Goodman kept making him fight at a pace Nishida could not match.

It was a difficult fight to control. Goodman was cut on the forehead in the third round, while Nishida also bled and developed swelling around his right eye. Their exchanges grew increasingly physical, with both men spending long stretches shoulder to shoulder.