Los Angeles, CA – Abner Mares kept his WBC super bantamweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Anselmo Moreno Saturday night at Staples Center.
Two of the judges scored the fight 116-110, while the other judge had it 120-106.
Mares (25-0-1, 13 KOs), who was making the first defense of his belt, floored Moreno (33-2-1, 12 KOs) in the fifth round with a series of punches. It was the first time Moreno, the current WBA bantamweight champ, hit the canvas in his career.
Moreno was deducted a point in the 11th round for pulling the back of Mares' head.
On the undercard, Leo Santa Cruz retained his IBF bantamweight title with a ninth-round knockout of Victor Zaleta. Cruz (22-0-1, 13 KOs) floored his opponent in the fourth, seventh and ninth rounds. The last punch, a right to the nose, caused Zaleta (20-3-1, 10 KOs) to be counted out at the 1:42 mark of the round.
Also, Nathan Cleverly (25-0, 12 KOs) defended his WBO light heavyweight title with an eighth-round stoppage of Shawn Hawk (22-3-1, 16 KOs).
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