35-year-old tremendous flyweight veteran Willibaldo Garcia Perez claimed his first world title final evening by edging out Rene Calixto Bibiano for the vacant IBF belt in Zacatecas, Mexico.
Garcia (23-5-2, 13 KO), who was Fernando Martinez’s obligatory challenger earlier than the latter elected to pursue a rematch with Kazuto Ioka as a substitute, battled Calixto (23-1-1, 9 KO) to a draw final December in Japan. This time round, he rode a late surge to a break up resolution on scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 113-115.
It’s arduous to not be pleased for Garcia, who began his profession 1-3 (1 NC). 4 of his 5 defeats got here through break up or majority resolution, together with to Alexandro Santiago and Paul Butler. It’s uncommon to see a lower-weight fighter hit his profession apex in his mid-30s.
As for what’s subsequent, he’s not on the clock for a compulsory challenger till Andrew Moloney fights Argi Cortez in an ordered last eliminator. May very well be value revisiting the Martinez battle whereas Jesse Rodriguez and Phumelela Cafu battle it out for the opposite two titles.
