WBC super featherweight champion Oscar Valdez 30-0 (23) overcame a slow start to outpoint Robson Conceição 16-1 (8) by unanimous decision at the Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona on Friday night.
The 30-year-old Mexican was making the first defence of the title he won from countryman Miguel Berchelt 38-2 (34) in Las Vegas in February. That fight was surprisingly one-sided with the former WBO featherweight champion dropping the long reigning champion three times en route to a 10th round knockout.
He had a much tougher time against previously undefeated Brazilian Conceição.
The 32-year-old challenger started fast, arguably winning the first four rounds with his quick hands, combination punching and educated jab.
Valdez was on the back foot for much of the first half of the fight, only managing to land his heavier blows in single shots.
In the second half of the fight Valdez started finding his rhythm but it was far from one-way traffic. Conceição, who had only been past the eighth round once in a 10-round distance fight, typically started each frame fast while Valdez came on late.
Conceição was deducted a point in the ninth for hitting behind the head. The penalty from referee Tony Zaino appeared to be an over-reaction. Conceição tapped Valdez to the back of the head during a clinch and there was clearly no malice in the move, nor had he been warned previously.
The point loss seemed to spur on Conceição who started the 10th round strongly and opened up a cut under the champion’s left eye.
The 11th stanza was close again but Valdez appeared to the more active boxer and in the 12th the champion remained the aggressor.
When all was said and done Valdez came away the winner by scores of 117-110 and 115-112 twice.
The victory came as a relief to Valdez who suffered through a tumultuous week after testing positive to the banned substance Phentermine by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).
It was claimed the trace amount of the weight loss drug was inadvertently ingested in herbal tea that Valdez had added to his diet.
Despite the failed test result the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Gaming Commission voted to allow the fight to proceed.
“I’ve been through a hard week,” said Valdez. “I’m sorry for all this ruckus. I’m not a disrespectful man. I’ve been through enough. We won the fight. We did what we had to do and it’s on to the next chapter.
“He’s over here yelling in my face. We’re grown men. Don’t be yelling in my face. He might be upset. Of course, you want to be a world champion, but don’t point at me, don’t be yelling in my face. I’ve been through enough this week, man.
“It makes the fight complicated when someone is trying to run the whole fight. I’m trying to put on a good show for my fans, give the fans what they want, which is a good fight. If he wants to run… you can’t win a fight running like that.”
Valdez is now targeting the winner of the fight between WBO 130-pound champion Jamel ‘Semper Fi’ Herring 23-2 (11) and rising star Shakur ‘Fearless’ Stevenson 16-0 (8) who are set to meet at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on October 23.
“We all want the winner of Shakur Stevenson and Jamel Herring. Let’s do it,” Valdez said.
Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank added: “If the fighters want the fight, I have no problem putting Oscar in with the winner of Jamel Herring and Shakur Stevenson.”