Super middleweight Shane Mosley Jr. recorded the biggest win of his career on Saturday, defeating former titleholder Daniel Jacobs in a co-fight on the Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal pay-per-view card at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Mosley won a 10-round unanimous decision by scores of 99-91, 99-91 and 100-90 in a strategically fought fight.
Mosley (22-4, 12 KOs), 33, of Las Vegas, chose to fight Jacobs (37-5, 30 KOs), 37, of Brooklyn, New York, at a weight higher than WBC middleweight titleholder Carlos Adames because of Jacobs' track record in the sport. The gamble paid off. Mosley got off to a fast start and never let up, but Jacobs, coming in at just over a pound overweight, was very patient. Mosley maintained a high rate of activity throughout the bout and took advantage.
Jacobs tried to time his moves and landed some big punches, but they were few and far between. Mosley landed some good punches early on, but the fight moved along slowly. Jacobs landed the occasional right punch late in the round, but overall volume was lacking. Mosley often dictated the pace of the fight by punching first, while Jacobs struggled to land his punches.
In the eighth round, Jacobs suffered a cut above his left eye after a clash with the head.
Despite the restless crowd, Mosley earned the biggest win of his career, extending his winning streak to five fights, which includes wins over Jacobs and Gabriel Rosado, while Jacobs is currently on a career-worst two-fight losing streak.
Chris Avila defeated former UFC champion Anthony Pettis by six-round unanimous decision in a light heavyweight bout.
Avila’s strategy centered on maintaining a high output, landing a ton of punches that forced Pettis (1-1), the 37-year-old from Milwaukee, to attack more than he wanted, albeit in a slow, steady fashion.
In the second round, Avila (6-0), 31, of Stockton, California, caught Pettis' attention with a left hook. The pace of the fight was slow due to Avila's style. Despite the reputations of both fighters in MMA, the bout resembled a bout between two boxing novices. The second half of the bout was a boring exchange of punches, with Avila emerging as the younger, fresher fighter.
The judges scored the fight 58-56, 59-55, 59-55 in Avila's favor.
