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While many large companies were waiting for the winner in a heavily populated welterweight division, WBC champion Shawn Porter was able to survive and outsell his opponent.
Porter (30-2-1, 17 KO), who was forced to leave his aggressive style, held up for a split decision Saturday against Yordenis Ugas (23-4, 11 KO's) to defend his title in a Premier Boxing Champions Map at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Two of the three judges favored Porter by scores of 116-112 and 115-113. The third judge had 117-111 in favor or Ugas. CBS Sports scored 115-113 for Ugas.
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"I think we fought smart tonight and I think we fought very steadily," Porter said. "I think we won the majority of the rounds, I would not have given much to Ugas."
Porter, 31, has beaten the Ugas 144-128, according to CompuBox, in 12 innings that could have been scored in both directions. While the judges were finally divided over who should have won the fight, one thing that seemed to be universal was the feeling that the two fighters had not managed to capitalize late by swinging momentum in their favor.
"It was an excellent battle, but I thought the two fighters could have done more," said WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman, a former Porter opponent who had fought for Fox as a rival. studio analyst. "It was a good fight but the decision is what it is."
After Porter seemed to control the first rounds by mixing pressure and counter-combat, Ugas started disciplining the champion by hitting more revealing blows. Not only did Ugas, 32, of Cuban nationality, capture Porter without being mistaken, but he spoke bluntly and seems, through his body language, to show that he is the most dominant of the middle rounds. Whatever your score, Ugas managed to force Porter to lower his production and be more selective, which ultimately cost him almost the scorecards.
"It looks like [Porter] has been boxing more on the outside and [his corner] tries to convince Shawn that he can win fights on the outside, "Thurman said. He won this fight on the outside tonight, but I do not think he'll ever win the fight outside with me. I do not think that's his strong point. He should stay at his strong point and throw more punches inside. That's what makes it a difficult fight. "
Porter, who lost a tight decision against Thurman in their title fight in 2016, said his father and coach, Kenny Porter, was pleased with his performance, and that despite the tight nature of the fight, he was not happy. was not necessary to hurry the end.
"My dad does not pull me gasoline … my dad does not tell me lies, he does not blow smoke," Porter said. "I returned [to the corner] and my dad said I do a great job of boxing and my jab is beautiful. We wanted to get him out of the box, then light him up and squeeze him, but my dad did not see the point in doing it tonight.
"It's not that we wanted to fight safely, but that it was the smartest way to fight." Nobody had ever seen me fight like that before and that would have maybe thrown a little judges, but anyway I'm still WBC champion. "
Except for a phone booth pocket played in Round 5, the majority of the contest was tactical instead of action. Inevitably, the slower pace favored the more technical Ugas, who might have won if they had more blows in the second half.
In Round 12, Porter took advantage of a reversal deemed arbitrary by referee Jack Reiss, while replays showed that the fighters' legs had never been touched and that Porter was falling from behind. 39, a right hand largely blocked.
"Honestly, I'm a little frustrated that I can not access the body as much as I expected and as often as I wanted, but when time passes, you do what works," Porter said. "What was working tonight was the movement of the feet, it did not allow Ugas to approach me and forced him to continue to reset himself."
This victory allows Porter to remain eligible for a major fight in the second half of 2019 against a number of potential options, including a rematch against Porter, a pay-per-fight with Manny Pacquiao or the winner of the fight for the title of 16 March between Errol Spence Jr. and Mikey Garcia are undefeated.
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