LOS ANGELES: International Boxing Federation super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas beat Jonas Sultan by unanimous decision on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) in the first all-Filipino world title fight in 93 years.
Judges in Fresno, California, awarded the verdict to Ancajas by scores of 119-109, 119-109 and 117-111 as the southpaw improved to 30-1-1 while Sultan fell to 14-4.
Ancajas stretched his win streak to 17 fights by successfully defending his title for the fifth time in the match-up of 26-year-old compatriots.
Sultan was the first rival who went the distance against Ancajas since his unanimous decision over Puerto Rican southpaw McJoe Arroyo in 2016 to take the title.
Sultan, whose win streak was stopped at five, won over former world champion John Riel Casimero last September for his title chance.
It was the first all-Filipino world title fight since 1925 in Manila, when Pancho Villa kept his world flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Clever Sencio, taking the last victory of his career.
Top Rank boss Bob Arum, who promoted the fight, said that though the bout was not exemplary, the future is bright for Ancajas.
“It’s a very technical fight but Jerwin won the fight and now he goes on to the other thing. It was not one of the great fights of all time. I think it was a tough opponent and he won convincingly. But you know, we have to put him into other opponent where people can see a real battle, a real fight,” Arum added.
World Boxing Association super flyweight champion Khalid Yafai of Britain remained unbeaten, stopping Mexican rival David Carmona after seven rounds on the undercard.
Yafai, making his US debut, rose to 24-0 with his 15th stoppage inside the distance while Carmona fell to 21-6 with five drawn.
The 28-year-old English son of Yemeni parents risked losing his title for a third time, but because Carmona weighed in above the 115-pound weight limit, he couldn’t have claimed the crown even with a victory.
WITH REPORT FROM JOSEF T. RAMOS