Navarrete dominates Santisima to retain WBO super bantamweight title

Emanuel Navarrete dominated Jeo Santisima on the way to an 11th-round technical knockout Saturday to retain his World Boxing Organization super-bantamweight world title.

Mexico’s Navarrete made his fifth defense of the crown in convincing style against the Filipino challenger, who was a heavy underdog fighting for a world title for the first time.

After a conservative start, Navarrete began to ramp up the pressure in the third round.

Santisima managed to back Navarrete into a corner in the fourth, but the champion unloaded on him in a big fifth round, rocking Santisima with a left hook.

Navarrete had Santisima in trouble again in the 10th and finally finished him the 11th with a series of unanswered blows that prompted referee Russell Mora to wave it off at 2:20 of the round.

The champion’s impressive finish came despite an apparent problem with his right hand.

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“I hit him weirdly with my right and I hurt my thumb,” said Navarrete, who switched to a southpaw stance a few times late in the fight. “But I had to plough through it and get the win tonight.

Navarrete improved to 31-1 with 27 wins inside the distance. Santisima fell to 19-3 with 16 knockouts.

The fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena was on the undercard of the heavyweight world title rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.