Jelena Mrdjenovich discovered her manner again to the win column however needed to sweat out a majority determination.
The previous two-division titlist used a superior work fee to barely edge Colombia’s Calista Silgado over ten rounds. Scores of 96-94 and 97-93 overruled a 95-95 tally to supply Mrdjenovich together with her first victory in additional than two years of their DAZN co-feature Thursday night from Fantasy Springs On line casino in Indio, California.
Mrdjenovich jumped out to a robust begin within the opening rounds but in addition confirmed frustration from her opponent’s tough techniques. Silgado correctly clinched each time the previous multi-time titlist tried to work her manner inside. Mrdjenovich complained to the referee concerning the frequent holding and hitting on the break, which was discouraged by head coach SugarHill Steward who reminded his cost to maintain her head.
Silgado confirmed the primary indicators of an upset with a robust third spherical. Mrdjenovich managed to dodge the primary few energy photographs throughout an change earlier than she walked right into a left hook. Silgado later landed one other left hook and a proper hand upstairs, which Mrdjenovich took properly however whose offense was briefly stalled in consequence.
Mrdjenovich regained management of the tempo in spherical 4. Silgado performed protection and laid traps for a lot of the spherical however Mrdjenovich was sensible to her opponent’s recreation and easily fought behind the jab.
Referee Jerry Cantu needed to twice warn Mrdjenovich over the second half of the struggle for clinching and likewise for main together with her head. The risk was heeded by the previous titlist who used a gentle jab to disrupt Silgado’s rhythm. Mrdjenovich additionally discovered success together with her straight proper hand, in opposition to which Silgado struggled to defend although she by no means threatened to hit the deck.
The win is the primary for Mrdjenovich (42-12-2, 19KOs) since December 2020. She since suffered back-to-back defeats to Mexico Metropolis’s Erika Cruz which ended her WBA featherweight title reign.
Silgado—who has confronted almost each notable fighter from featherweight by means of light-weight—fell to 21-17-4 (16KOs) and is simply 2-6-1 in her previous 9 begins.
Headlining the present, domestically primarily based bantamweight Manuel ‘Gucci Manny’ Flores (15-0, 11KOs) enters his first principal occasion and scheduled ten-rounder as he faces Phoenix’s Walter Santibanes (11-2, 2KOs).
Jake Donovan is a senior author for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
