Abner Mares beat Joseph Agbeko by unanimous decision Saturday night to retain his IBF bantamweight belt in a rematch of their controversial bout four months ago.
The Mexican fighter won 118-110 on all three judges' scorecards to maintain his unbeaten record of 23-0-1, with 13 knockouts.
Mares was awarded a majority-decision victory over Agbeko in August, but he landed several blatantly low blows on the Ghanaian during the bout without being penalized by the official. The IBF ordered an immediate rematch.
The rematch featured almost no questionable blows. Mares landed more total punches and power shots despite fighting the final 10 rounds with a deep cut near his right eye from a punch. The Associated Press scored it 116-112 for Mares.
''I'm happy that my fans finally saw my true boxing skills,'' Mares said. ''I beat him the first time, and I beat him again. I knew I was winning the whole fight.''
In the co-main event, Panama's Anselmo Moreno kept his WBA bantamweight belt in his American debut, winning a unanimous decision over Vic Darchinyan, an Armenian-born Australian.
Moreno could be Mares' next opponent, said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.
Mares was a bit sharper and crisper than Agbeko, whose entourage still raised him on its shoulders after the final bell. Agbeko's small but vocal Ghanaian cheering section disliked the verdict.
''A lot of media guys told me at the press conference that this is California, and that I will have to knock him out to win,'' said Agbeko, whose record fell to 28-4. ''I told them no. If I win, I deserve to win. Right now, I don't have anything to protest. I don't feel like a loser. I think this decision is unfair. You shouldn't have to knock out your opponent to win in California. I thought I fought better tonight than the last fight.''
Both fighters traded exciting shots from the first round, and Mares didn't flinch when his cut opened in the second round.
''It bothered me a few times, because he was only going for my eye,'' Mares said.
Agbeko was understandably sensitive to low blows, complaining to referee Lou Moret after borderline punches in the third and sixth rounds.
The fighters' defensive skills and strong conditioning led to a few uneventful rounds, but Mares came alive in the final minute of the 11th, landing several strong punches that staggered Agbeko.
''Last time, I was a little stocky,'' Mares said. ''This time I didn't have as much muscle, so I was faster.''
Moreno thoroughly outboxed Darchinyan in his 26th consecutive victory and ninth title defense. Darchinyan was docked a point for throwing the backpedaling Moreno to the canvas at the fourth-round bell.
''He's a great boxer, but he faced a ghost tonight,'' Moreno said. ''He couldn't catch me. ... He threw a lot of punches, and I avoided them. That was the plan. Yes, he did connect a few times, but so did I.''
Moreno, who has a 32-1-1 record, with 11 knockouts, said he hopes to fight Mares next in a unification bout.
Darchinyan has also lost to both Agbeko and Mares in the past 2 1/2 years.
''I couldn't find him, and I lost the fight,'' Darchinyan said. ''I was going for big punches, and I couldn't find a home for my left.''
