Career
Sakata was the premier boxer in the Kyoei boxing gym before the arrival of Kōki Kameda in 2005. Early career
Sakata began boxing when he joined his school"s amateur boxing team in his first year in high school. He moved to Tokyo during summer vacation, and entered the Kyoei boxing gym to begin serious training.
Professional career
On June 4, 2004, Sakata fought Lorenzo Parra for the WBA Flyweight title at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan, but lost by 12 round decision.
He fought Parra again in September of the same year, but lost by decision again. He marked five straight wins after his losses against Parra, and fought Roberto Vasquez in Paris, France, for the WBA Flyweight interim title on December 2, 2006.
He suffered a knockdown in the 5th round, but fought back hard in the second half, and Vasquez barely managed to keep his title with a 2-1 split decision. The day before the fight, Parra could not make the 112 lb weight limit.
He tried again two hours later, but was still 4 pounds overweight.
As a consequence, Parra was stripped of the title and fined 35% of his fight money. On his fifth defense however, he was dismantled in two rounds by Denkaosan Kaovichit of Thailand on December 31, 2008. Attempt to regain crown
Sakata received an opportunity to take back the WBA 112-lb title on September 25, 2010.
On January 13, 2011, he announced his retirement from the ring.
