Former featherweight titleholder Jonathan Victor Barros secured another world title opportunity on Monday.
Barros (41-4-1, 22 KOs) won a split decision against Satoshi Hosono (32-3-1, 21 KOs) in a world title elimination bout at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Two judges scored the bout for Barros, 117-111 and 116-112, and one had the fight 115-113 for Hosono.
The victory earned Barros, 32, of Argentina, a mandatory title shot against Lee Selby, 29, of Wales. Selby (23-1, 8 KOs), who has made two title defenses since winning the belt in May 2015, was ringside along with manager Chris Sanigar to get an up-close look at his future foe.
Although Barros won, the fight with Selby likely will not take place before the end of the year because Barros suffered a cut over his right eye late in the fight that will probably sideline him for at least a couple of months.
Barros made two successful defenses of a featherweight title during his reign from December 2010 until losing it by decision to Celestino Caballero in an October 2011 rematch.
Hosono, 32, of Japan, suffered his previous two defeats in world title bouts, both of which were also in Japan: a majority decision to then-junior featherweight titlist Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym in 2010 and a unanimous decision to then-featherweight titleholder Caballero in 2011.