Boxing: Lee Selby outpoints Fernando Montiel to retain title

Lee Selby. FACEBOOK PHOTO

PHOENIX— Welsh fighter Lee Selby retained his International Boxing Federation featherweight crown Wednesday with a unanimous decision over former three-division champion Fernando Montiel in a 12-round fight.

Selby, who improved to 22-1 with eight knockouts, won on all three judges’ scorecards, 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112 at the Gila River Arena.

Montiel, who dropped to 54-4-2 with 39 knockouts, cut Selby over the right eye in the sixth round.

But the bigger Selby was able to outbox and outsmart Mexico’s Montiel throughout much of the fight.

In the final fight of the night, unheralded welterweight Aron Martinez upset former world champion Devon Alexander, winning their 10-round fight by a unanimous decision.

Martinez (20-4-1, 4 KOs) started slow but gained strength as the fight progressed.

Martinez won by scores of 96-94, 97-93, 97-93.

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