San Antonio's Ramon Cardenas survives upset bid in L.A.

San Antonio's Ramon Cardenas secured an upset victory over Erik Robles Ayala in Los Angeles on Saturday night, prevailing by split decision after a tough, 10-round contest. Despite the initial confusion over the scorecards, Cardenas ultimately emerged victorious with scores of 98-92, 93-97, and 96-94. The 33-year-old Colombian fighter demonstrated remarkable resilience, enduring anxious moments in the ring as the second scorecard read in favor of his opponent.

Cardenas' coach, Paulie Malignaggi, noted that the final punch statistics confirmed Cardenas' superior performance, with the San Antonio native landing 148 of 623 total punches to Ayala's 72 of 335. Cardenas, ranked No. 2 in the world by the WBA and WBC, had been on a roll, with 15 of his previous 16 fights resulting in wins. The victory could bolster his chances of challenging recent Inoue contender Junto Nakatani.

However, Carrillo's performance showcased his toughness and strong chin, with the 22-year-old former bantamweight champion displaying grit throughout the fight.