LOS ANGELES – International Boxing Federation super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas beat Jonas Sultan by unanimous decision on Saturday 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 matchup 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, had decisioned 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.
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.
Ancajas relied on his length and reach to keep his shorter challenger at bay. He used his jabs and straights to deadly effect.
The smaller Sultan though kept pushing forward, trying to break past Ancajas’ longer reach and connecting with shorter but more powerful shots to the head and the body.
Sultan landed his biggest punch of the bout in round three as he unloaded a solid right counter that briefly stunned Ancajas.
Ancajas didn’t lose his composure though. He stayed on his toes, moved continuously and patiently as he peppered Sultan with jabs and straights and then moving out of reach of his shorter foe.
Sultan remained undaunted as he moved forward trying to look for a knockout blow.
Ancajas slowed near the end of round 11 allowing Sultan to land a couple of shots. But the round ended before he could inflict more damage.
Revitalized by the break between rounds Ancajas came out firing in the round 12 as he kept Sultan with more jabs to seal the win.
Ancajas earned the unanimous decision win, 119-109, 119-109, 117-111 on the judges’ scorecards.
