Photo from Showtime Boxing Twitter
MANILA, Philippines — Jerwin Ancajas picked up where he left off and retained his IBF super flyweight title Sunday (Manila time) at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, USA.
Ancajas (33-1-2, 22 KOs) successfully defended his crown for the ninth time after a unanimous decision win over a tough-as-nails Jonathan Rodriguez (22-2, 16 KOs) in a bruising battle.
The judges scored the bout, 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110.
The 29-year-old Filipino scored the only knockdown in the fight went he floored the Mexican challenger after series of punches late in the eighth round.
Ancajas showed no effects of ring rust despite stepping in the ring for the first time in 16 months as he imposed himself early in the fight.
"OH MYYYY" – @JerwinAncajas with the BIG left 🤜! #AncajasRodriguez #PBConShowtime pic.twitter.com/oGx7AHKNDm
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) April 11, 2021
But Rodriguez, 25, displayed great resolve especially after the knockdown in the eighth as he gave Ancajas all he could handle up to the final bell.
#AncajasRodriguez is headed to the 12th 👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/P2WPUHVhad
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) April 11, 2021
The fight served as the opener to Showtime’s tripleheader that has welterweights Jaron Ennis and Sergey Lipinets in the main event,
The Ancajas-Rodriguez bout had been postponed twice but it turned out to be worth the wait as the two delivered a potential Fight of the Year.