Filipino Icon and Senator Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) was victorious over Keith "One Time" Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) of Clearwater, Florida Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Pacquiao edged Thurman in pulling a split decision as he becomes the newly WBA welterweight champion.
Pacquiao got things started as he floored Thurman with a short right hand in the opening round. The hand speed was evident for the Senator as Thurman landed strong punches. Speed and power was too much for the champ Thurman as Pacquiao busted Thurman's nose in the fifth round.
The second half of the fight saw Thurman take more chances and connect on Manny but Pacquiao kept answering back with flurries. Late in the fight in the tenth, Pacquiao staggered Thurman with a body shot as the champ backed away then held on but answered back with his hard shots. In going the distance and in the end the judges scored the bout 114-113 for Thurman, 115-112 for Pacquiao, and 115-112 for Pacquiao.
Welterweight Yordanis Ugas (24-4, 11 KOs) was dominant as he won a unanimous decision over Omar Figueroa (28-1-1, 19 KOs) in a WBC eliminator bout. Ugas was dominant in scoring an early knockdown and making it a complicated fight with his style. The Cuban was deducted a point in the but managed to cruise his way to a unanimous decision as all three judges scored the fight 119-107.
Nery Victorious Looks to Land Title Shot
Former WBC bantamweight champion Luis "Pantera" Nery (30-0, 24 KO's of Tijuana, Mexico scored a ninth round knockout over former world champion Juan Carlos Payano (21-3, 9 KOs) of the Dominican Republic. Nery sent Payano to the canvas in the ninth with a crunching left hook to the body that did it as referee Vic Drackulich stopped the fight at 1:43 of the ninth.
Plant Retains Title Unification Next?
IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant (19-0, 11 KOs) of Nashville, Tennessee scored a spectacular knockout over Mike Lee (21-1, 11 KOs) of Illinois. Plant sent Lee to the canvas three times in the fight that forced referee Robert Byrd to stop the fight.
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