By Jake Donovan

Jomthong Chuwatana is the latest among a growing trend of fighters all but skipping the prospect stage and advancing straight to the contender level. 

The Thai southpaw announced his arrival in the super featherweight division just nine fights into his young career, outpointing Daiki Kaneko in their regional title fight Saturday evening in Tokyo, Japan.

Scores were 116-112 and 115-113 (twice). 

A former Muay-Thai fighter, Chuwatana has been brought along at an accelerated pace since turning pro in 2010. While not the most active fighter, the 25-year old has been ambitious from the start, having been scheduled for 12-round bouts since his fourth pro fight. 

Kaneko was the first on his ledger to have fought at the championship level. The 26-year old from Japan came up short in his title challenge versus Takashi Uchiyama on New Year's Eve in 2013, but was able to floor the unbeaten long-reigning champ in offering a credible account of himself. 

The performance coupled with his overall pedigree was enough to have him pegged by oddsmakers as the betting favorite heading into Saturday. By the time they entered the ring, Kaneko was more than 3-2 favorite to hang the first loss on Chuwatana's career.

It didn't turn out that way, though not for a lack of trying. Kaneko is going to be a tough out for anyone in the 130 lb. division, a lesson Chuwatana learned head-on. Still, the visiting Thai proved resourceful enough to remain a step ahead just long enough to pull off the upset on the road, advancing to 9-0 (4KOs) in the process.

Kaneko falls to 21-4-3 (14KOs). The loss was his first since his title challenge versus Uchiyama, having won three straight heading into Saturday's contest. 

The bout marked Chuwatana's second straight fight in Japan, having now traveled to four different countries (Japan, China, South Korea and home in Thailand) for his past six starts. 

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox