Martinez wins IBF super flyweight world title

LOS ANGELES: Unbeaten Argentinian Fernando Martinez ended Filipino Jerwin Ancajas’ long International Boxing Federation super flyweight reign with a 12-round unanimous decision victory in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Martinez pressed the action in a lively bout at The Cosmopolitan, consistently outworking the champion to earn the upset victory, with two judges scoring it 118-110 and a third seeing it 117-111 for the 30-year-old challenger.

Martinez improved to 14-0 with eight wins inside the distance.

Ancajas, who was making his 10th defense of the title he won in 2016, fell to 33-2-2 with 22 knockouts.

Ancajas, also 30, said after the fight he would take advantage of his contractual right to a rematch.

Meanwhile, his plans to take on Japanese WBO champion Kazuto Ioka in a unification bout later this year were blown.

After an 11th round dominated by the aggressive Martinez, Ancajas appeared to need a knockout in the 12th to retain his title.

But he couldn’t hurt Martinez, who continued to land solid punches to the head and body in the final round.