WBA “regular” super featherweight champion Alberto Machado (20-0, 16 KOs) won a twelve round unanimous decision over previously undefeated mandatory challenger Rafael Mensah (31-1, 23 KOs). All three judges had it 120-107.
Heavy leather was being exchanged at the start of the first round. Near the end of the round, Machado landed a huge right hook that sent Mensah down. He was badly hurt, but the round was already over.
Mensah recovered by the start of the second round. He was still being outpunched by the bigger and stronger Machado. More dominance by Machado in the third, as Mensah had no answers to deal with the height and reach of the champion.
Machado was working him over in fourth as they traded punches on the inside. Near the end of the fourth, Mensah was once again badly and Machado hit him with a number of hard shots in the closing seconds.
At the start of the fifth, Machado went right after Mensah and was looking for the finish. Mensah took a lot of punishment in the round. The pace slowed down in the sixth, with Machado still in full control.
After a slow eight, Machado picked up the pace and began to unload with more hurtful punches in the ninth. In the tenth, Machado was basically picking his punches, while Mensah was defensive and not doing much.
More of the same in the tenth and eleventh, with Machado controlling the majority of the action from start to finish. Mensah did a little more work in the twelfth, which was mainly in part to Machado being tired.
- Boxingscene