Yamileth Mercado celebrates after her combat in opposition to Ramla Ali at Footprint Middle in Phoenix, Arizona. Necessary Credit score: (Picture by Melina Pizano/Matchroom)
Yamileth Mercado turned away an icon to defend her throne.
The long-reigning WBC 122-pound titlist outworked the extra correct Ramla Ali over ten rounds. Scores had been 98-92, 98-93 and 97-93 f0r Mercado of their DAZN-aired title combat Saturday at Footprint Middle in Phoenix, Arizona.
Mercado, The Ring’s No. 2-rated junior featherweight, who lodged her seventh profitable title protection.
The opening spherical informed the story of the style wherein each deliberate to finest the opposite. Mercado set an aggressive tempo and remained the busier fighter all through. Ali landed by far the simpler punches, however took a spherical to get her offense untracked.
Ali discovered her groove in spherical two. The long-lasting boxer—a Somali refugee and and likewise a famous activist and mannequin—nonetheless provided her jab in singular moments however cracked Mercado with a left hook. Her method via that two-minute body happy head coach Manny Robles, who referred to as for extra mixture punching.
Mercado continued to return ahead and hoped to steal rounds when Ali’s punch output was comparatively low. The defending long-reigning titlist provided fixed lateral motion after which labored her approach inside. The technique proved efficient within the center rounds, though none of her energy photographs had any actual impact on her challenger.
Ali regained management in rounds seven and eight. She was in a position to time Mercado coming in, which created alternatives for her lengthy proper hand. Mercado missed with a proper hand and was left open for an overhand proper and left hook by Ali.
Motion was sloppy in spherical 9, a improvement that was met with boos by the passionate crowd. Mercado fought with a way of urgency however was met with frequent clinches by Ali. The tactic was addressed by referee Thomas Taylor, however solely within the type of a mushy warning. Mercado walked right into a pair of proper arms as she charged forward however ended the alternate with a left hook.
Sensing her first title win inside attain, Ali closed robust within the tenth and closing spherical. Mercado by no means broke type, which supplied a component of predictability to her method. Ali timed Mercado and slammed house a pair of left hooks. Mercado tried to impose her will, which was sufficient as soon as the scorecards had been introduced.
Mercado threw and landed extra punches (98-of-369 to Ali’s 97-of-310) as she superior to 24-3 (5 knockouts). Ali (9-2, 2 KOs) landed at the next share (31.3% to 26.6%). Ultimately, it wasn’t sufficient to turn into the primary Somali fight sports activities athlete to win a serious title.
Mercado has held the WBC 122-pound title since Nov. 2019. Her lone defeat over the previous six years got here in Aug. 2021. Mercado dropped a ten-round determination to Amanda Serrano in a failed bid to dethrone the featherweight queen.
The goal now could be to unify the division. Ellie Scotney (9-0, 0 KOs) is The Ring champ and likewise owns the IBF and WBO belts. Mexico Metropolis’s Erika Cruz (17-2-1, 3 KOs), No. 3 at 122, is the WBA titleholder.
The bout got here in supporting capability to the Juan Francisco Estrada-Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez RING/WBC 115-pound championship.
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