British light heavyweight Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing beginning to his career under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a close ten-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger landed significant shots, landing some telling clean blows in a match where the approaches failed to mesh, with constant grabbing marring the action.
Two judges scored it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best display but what defines champions? They succeed," the victor stated in the ringside as he was faced disapproval from the crowd.
The British fighter got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.
Several boxing experts thought Parker, 31, should have been awarded the victory but the British boxer experienced the second loss of his 28-match professional journey.
Buatsi Claims Win in Dull Affair
His career development has plateaued in recent years through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He started carefully, with neither fighter willing to overcommit in a calculated early stages.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand mid-fight, was participating in his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who utilized a protective stance to edge the more effective periods.
The crowd's patience diminished because of regular grabbing, with the challenger falling to the floor multiple occasions during grappling.
The underdog finished the stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. However, former world champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, giving Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Hatton Memorial Motivates All-Manchester Contest
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding local rivalry fight to capture the continental title.
The stadium fell silent for a profoundly moving memorial before the fight as 10 bells rang in memory of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in September.
It was the premier televised match card in the location since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound faded, the quiet became a chant of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The action within the ring equaled the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch directly to the jaw in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the count of eight.
But the traditional red equipment of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was injured soon, significant bruising developing under his orbital area as the pair traded powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the verdict with judges scorecards of even score, close margin and clearer margin, but both fighters were determined and courageous, everything their idol Hatton embodied.
