Yulihan Luna vs. Mayeli Flores
Yulihan Luna defeated Mayeli Flores by unanimous choice to efficiently retain her WBC feminine bantamweight title Saturday night time at Gimnasio Miguel Hidalgo, in Puebla, Mexico.
Scores had been 95-92, 95-91 and 99-89 for Luna, who improves to 23-3-1 (4 knockouts) and is ranked No. 2 by The Ring at 118 kilos in its feminine rankings.
Saturday marked Luna’s first protection of her title however it was something however a stroll within the park as Flores got here to combat, creating action-filled exchanges because the bout progressed.
Within the opening spherical, the shorter Flores knocked Luna’s mouthpiece out with a left hook upstairs. Sensing Luna was damage, Flores was about to maneuver in however referee Laurentino Ramirez instantly stepped in to have the mouthpiece put again into Luna’s mouth, inflicting Flores’ nook to grow to be upset as a chance was missed to observe up.
Momentum swung in Luna’s favor halfway by way of the second spherical as a left hook to the chin dropped Flores to the canvas. Flores was visibly damage and fought again because the motion resumed. Each fighters had their moments as Flores did her greatest to stroll Luna down and hook up with the pinnacle and physique.
Luna, who resides in Gomez Palacio, Mexico, was inexplicably deducted some extent by Ramirez in the course of the fifth spherical for holding when a warning was by no means given earlier within the combat. Flores was appropriately deducted some extent in the course of the sixth spherical as an unintended conflict of heads opened a minimize above Luna’s left eye. The WBC is the one sanctioning physique that enforces a rule {that a} fighter is deducted some extent when the opponent suffers a minimize from an unintended headbutt.
Because the combat progressed into the later rounds, Flores discovered success getting inside Luna’s guard, connecting to the pinnacle with left hooks and proper crosses. Luna landed an array of uppercuts and counter proper arms to the pinnacle. Though they seemed drained, each girls emptied the tank, giving the followers in attendance and watching on ESPN+ stellar exchanges till the ultimate bell sounded.
Luna gained the WBC title by defeating longtime titleholder Mariana Juarez in October 2020. She had two stay-busy fights since then in opposition to fighters with shedding data.
Flores, who resides in Mexico Metropolis, drops to 8-1-1 (3 KOs).
Within the co-feature, light-weight Oscar Duarte, of Parral, Mexico, stopped Argentina’s Fernando Cancino (11-10-1, 3 KOs) within the fifth spherical.
After a sluggish begin, Duarte (22-1-1, 17 KOs) lastly let his arms go along with authority within the third spherical. He damage Cancino with a left hook to the pinnacle, sending him reeling in opposition to the ropes. Halfway by way of the fifth spherical, Duarte battered Cancino, dropping him to the canvas, prompting the referee to cease the combat at 1:47.
Junior featherweight Bryan Mercado, of Mexico Metropolis, improved to 21-1 (16 KOs) by dropping Cancun’s Pedro Tut (22-2, 6 KOs) twice en path to a stoppage win in the course of the opening spherical. Mercado dropped Tut twice with proper uppercuts to the pinnacle. After the second knockdown, the combat was stopped at 1:56.
Flyweight Saul Rivera (4-0, 3 KOs), of Puebla, thrilled his hometown followers by making fast work of Mexico Metropolis’s Pedro Marino (0-2), dropping him twice earlier than the combat was stopped at 1:16 of the second spherical.
Bantamweight Agustin Perez, one other fighter from Puebla, defeated previously-unbeaten Edgar Gonzalez (8-1, 4 KOs) by unanimous choice. Scores had been 59-56 twice and 58-56 for Perez, who improves to 7-3-1 (3 KOs).
Saturday’s card was co-promoted by Promociones del Pueblo and Cancun Boxing.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has lined boxing in Southern California and overseas since 2000. Francisco additionally covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He will be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or on Twitter @FSalazarBoxing.
