Thursday night didn’t get off to a good start for the Inoue family.

In the bout before his older brother boxed Nonito Donaire in the main event, France’s Nordine Oubaali beat Takuma Inoue by unanimous decision to retain his WBC world bantamweight title at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Oubaali knocked down Inoue in the fourth round on his way to winning on all three scorecards and dealing Inoue his first professional defeat.

Inoue got back into the fight after suffering that fourth-round knockdown, but Oubaali (17-0, 12 KOs) consistently pressed the action and landed the harder shots for much of the bout. The 23-year-old Inoue (13-1, 3 KOs), the light-punching, younger brother of Naoya Inoue, lost by big margins on two of three scorecards.

Judges Alejandro Rochin scored every round for Oubaali (120-107) and judge David Sutherland scored nine rounds for the left-handed champion (117-110). Judge Jun Bae Lim had it much closer (115-112).

The 33-year-old Oubaali made his second defense of the WBC 118-pound championship. Inoue, of Yokohama, Japan, won the WBC’s interim bantamweight title in his previous fight,

Inoue’s older brother, Naoya, battled Donaire later Thursday night in the final of the World Boxing Super Series’ bantamweight title. He watched from his dressing room as Oubaali beat his brother.

Obviously down on the cards, Takuma Inoue rallied late in the 12th round. A left hook by Inoue rocked Oubaali with about 1:20 to go in the final round.

Oubaali appeared tired toward the end of their fight, but Inoue couldn’t capitalize on it.

A counter left hook by Inoue landed just after the midway mark of the 11th round. A right hook by Oubaali stopped Inoue from coming forward with just under 50 seconds to go in the 10th round.

Inoue landed a left to Oubaali’s body when there just under a minute to go in the ninth round.

Oubaali caught Inoue with a straight left hand that landed on his neck with just over a minute remaining in the eighth round. That connection caused Inoue to hold briefly.

A lunging left hand by Inoue backed up Oubaali earlier in the eighth.

Inoue landed a stiff jab as Oubaali pressed forward with just over 30 seconds to go in the seventh round. Otherwise, there weren’t many flush connections in those three minutes.

Oubaali landed two straight left hands during the final 40 seconds of the sixth round. Inoue mostly defended himself well in that round, though, by moving out of Oubaali’s punching range and blocking several shots.

Inoue endured back-to-back rough rounds in the third and fourth to have a strong showing in the fifth round. He defended himself better in those three minutes and nailed Oubaali with a counter left hook with just under 20 seconds to go in that round.

After a strong third round, Oubaali dropped Inoue in the fourth round. Oubaali landed a jab to the body, followed by an overhand left that buckled Inoue’s legs and sent him to the seat of his trunks with 46 seconds to go in the fourth round.

A stunned Inoue avoided the rest of Oubaali’s hard shots for the remainder of the fourth round.

Earlier, Oubaali beat up Inoue in the middle of the third round.

He landed a left to the body and followed up with a right hook up top that caught Inoue flush. Oubaali continued his assault by drilling Inoue with a straight left hand that knocked him backward exactly halfway through the third round.

Oubaali blasted Inoue with a right uppercut about six seconds later, as Inoue was backed against the ropes.

A straight left hand by Oubaali landed and backed Inoue into the ropes with about 30 seconds to go in the second round. Inoue’s right hand to the body knocked Oubaali off balance earlier in the second round.

That shot should’ve accounted for a knockdown for Inoue because Oubaali remained on his feet by using right glove on the canvas.

Oubaali mostly missed with left hands in the opening round, as Inoue dodged those straight shots. Inoue landed two counter right hands in the first round that seemingly won it for him.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.