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Xander zayas solidified his position as a rising force in boxing, securing a split-decision victory over Abass Baraou in a junior middleweight title unification bout on Saturday night in San Juan, Puerto Rico. the win adds the WBA title to Zayas’ existing WBO belt.
Zayas (23-0, 13 KOs) defeated Baraou (17-2, 9 KOs) in a closely contested fight. Two judges scored the bout 116-112 in favor of Zayas, while the third judge saw it 116-112 for Baraou.
“This feels amazing,” said Zayas,a native of Puerto Rico. “I’m just 23. I’m just getting started. I had to overcome some adversity.Round 9 or so, I felt a slight issue with my hand, but that’s what champions do – find a way to win. I knew I was the better fighter tonight.”
zayas acknowledged the fight was close and expressed some anxiety during the scorecards’ declaration.”I’m not going to lie, I was a bit scared, but I knew I had done enough to win. I think I won at least eight or nine rounds. He’s a tough warrior, and he came to fight.”
Zayas’ Path to Unification
Zayas initially won the WBO junior middleweight title in July 2025 with a unanimous decision victory over Jorge Garcia ESPN. Baraou secured the WBA interim title in August 2025 with a win over Yoenis tellez BoxingScene and was later elevated to full
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