UK light heavyweight Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing debut to his career under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a close ten-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker had his moments, connecting with powerful clean blows in a match where the approaches failed to mesh, with constant grabbing spoiling the contest.
The officials had it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a 95-95.
"It wasn't my best display but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor stated in the ringside as he was greeted with negative reactions from the spectators.
The British fighter got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts felt Parker, 31, merited the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-bout professional journey.
Buatsi Earns Win in Uneventful Match
The fighter's advancement has plateaued in recent years through management issues and extended periods of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - possibly in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a calculated early stages.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was participating in his second fight at light-heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who worked behind a solid defense to barely take the more effective periods.
The crowd's patience decreased because of constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker closed well, but many rounds were challenging to assess. Although, ex-champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just a single round.
The victor moves on, but with the likes of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Homage Motivates All-Manchester Contest
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester fight to win the European light-heavyweight title.
The arena grew hushed for a deeply poignant memorial ahead of the contest as ten bells tolled in memory of local hero Ricky Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in recently.
It was the premier televised fight night in the city since Hatton's passing. As the last bell faded, the silence gave way to a chant of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting during the bout equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a left hook directly to the jaw in the early round, rising shakily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon advanced again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was damaged early, heavy swelling appearing under his orbital area as the fighters landed punishing blows.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the pace rarely dropped over the full distance.
The victor edged the decision with scoring tallies of even score, close margin and clearer margin, but both fighters were determined and full of heart, all the qualities their idol the legend stood for.
