Knockout CP Freshmart retained his WBA strawweight title Tuesday with a unanimous decision win over Norihito Tanaka at the Nakhon Sawan Municipality Ground in Thailand.

The scores weren’t immediately available for Freshmart, whose real name is Thammanoon Niyomtrong, for what was the eighth defense of the belt he won in 2016.

Freshmart (21-0, 7 knockouts) was the physically stronger fighter throughout, using his jab to push the Japanese challenger to the ropes to land his combinations. The 35-year-old Tanaka, who had entered on a three fight winning streak, including a stoppage of former Freshmart foe Shin Ono, was reduced to throwing single jabs and looking for wide power shots.

A three punch combination – a right hand followed by a left hook and a right hand – put Tanaka on the canvas in the third. The trouble continued to mount in the fourth, as a right hand sent Tanaka back into the ropes, where Freshmart was able to unload with big body blows.

A head clash in the eighth produced a cut under Freshmart’s left eye. Whether that was a factor in the fight was debatable, but Tanaka began landing right hands more frequently in the later rounds. Both fighters went for broke in the twelfth and embraced at the final bell.

Freshmart, 29, is the no. 2 rated fighter at 105 pounds in The Ring’s rankings, just below WBC titleholder and Thai compatriot Wanheng Menayothin.