In a 12-round WBC Featherweight Title Eliminator, Mongolian Olympic silver medalist Tugstsogt Nyambayar (12-1, 9 KOs) rode two early knockdowns to win a highly competitive split-decision over Barbadian Cobia Breedy (15-1, 5 KOs).
The win set up a possible rematch with WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr.
The judges scored the fight (114-113, 114-112, 111-115).
Nyambayar dropped Breedy twice in the opening two rounds, once with his right hand and once with his left, but the gutsy Breedy climbed his way back into the fight after the early setbacks.
Breedy was the busier fighter, throwing 62 punches per round compared to 47 for Nyambayar. “King Tug” landed the harder punches and connected on 51 percent of his power punches in the fight.
“It was a tough fight,” said the 28-year-old Nyambayar. “I have a lot of respect for Breedy. He’s a great boxer. I thought I won the fight and did well to get the knock downs early.
“I thought I got the job done and I’m ready for the next step. I knew it was a close fight, but I wasn’t thinking about the score. I was surprised it was a split decision, but I thought I did enough to get the win.”
In the opening bout of the telecast, Philadelphia’s welterweight phenom Jaron Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs) continued his rapid ascent up the 147-pound charts by recording his 16th straight KO, this time against durable veteran Juan Carlos Abreu (23-6-1, 21 KOs), who had never been stopped before in his career.
“I was in there having my fun, then my dad said to stop playing with him, and that it’s time to take him out, so that’s what I did,” said Ennis, who goes by the nickname “Boots”.
“I know he’s fought some tough guys in the past. Compare what I did to what they did. It shows the different skill level and attributes that I have. I made a statement tonight and stopped someone who’s never been stopped.
“Bring on the top 10 and top five guys or title eliminators. I’m coming for the championship next year.”
The switch-hitting Ennis landed his first meaningful punch in the fifth round, sending Abreu to the canvas with a vicious right-handed uppercut.
Abreu beat the referee’s count and survived the round, but the end was imminent. In the next round, the 23-year-old Ennis knocked Abreu down for the sixth and seventh times of his career, forcing referee John Callas to stop the bout at 1:06 of round six.
Ennis, who was pushed into the sixth round for just the third time of his career, now has 16 knockdowns in his last seven bouts.
