UK light-heavyweight Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing debut to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output likely gained him a split decision in a tight ten-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger found success, connecting with powerful individual punches in a match where the techniques failed to mesh, with constant grabbing disrupting the fight.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 for to the winner, with the third a 95-95.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi commented in the ring as he was faced disapproval from the audience.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in February - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers thought the challenger, 31, deserved the decision but the British boxer endured the second defeat of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Earns Victory in Uneventful Affair
Buatsi's progress has plateaued in recent times through contract problems and considerable time of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the future of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with the two boxers willing to be aggressive in a tentative opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand mid-fight, was making just his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who utilized a protective stance to edge the better stanzas.
The audience's tolerance decreased because of regular grabbing, with the challenger falling to the floor multiple occasions during grappling.
The underdog finished the stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. Nevertheless, ex-champion the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.
The victor progresses, but with the likes of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Inspires Manchester Derby Battle
In the secondary fight, Arthur overcame Rea by divided decision in a outstanding all-Manchester fight to capture the continental title.
The stadium became quiet for a extremely emotional homage prior to the bout as ten bells tolled in honor of Manchester's own Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in recently.
It was the first major televised match card in the location since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound faded, the silence became a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The action during the bout equaled the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a powerful punch flush on the face in the early round, rising shakily to his footing on the eight count.
But the traditional red attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, Rea - in rival City blue - was injured quickly, heavy swelling forming under his face as the fighters exchanged hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with effective uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur edged the result with official scores of 114-114, narrow lead and wider gap, but each competitor were persistent and courageous, all the qualities their hero the legend represented.
