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Darchinyan claims undisputed super fly title

Vic Darchinyan, left, connects with a punch that knocked down Cristian Mijares during the first round of their bout on Saturday in Carson, California. PHOTO: AP

Australia-based Armenian Vic Darchinyan became the undisputed world super flyweight champion on Saturday with a knockout win over Mexican Cristian Mijares in their title unification bout.

Darchinyan came into the bout with his IBF belt on the line while Mijares risked his WBC and WBA titles. Darchinyan left with all three, knocking Mijares down with a left uppercut in the first round and then finishing him off with a jolting straight left in the ninth.

IBF champ Darchinyan dominated the match of two southpaws from start to finish.

“I promised to show my skills and knock him out and I kept my promise,” Darchinyan said. “I was always confident I was the best fighter. I had beaten guys that had beaten him.”

Mijares, known for boxing skills and not power, said earlier that intelligence would beat strength. But he did not fight a smart fight, instead trying to mix it up with his hard-hitting foe.

“My heart came like a Mexican and I did not fight my fight,” Mijares said through a translator.

A native of Armenia who has been based in Sydney for all his professional career, Darchinyan had won all but one round on each judges’ card before he stopped the Mexican fighter as the ninth round ended.



■DONAIRE RETAINS TITLE

AFP, LAS VEGAS

Nonito Donaire of the Philippines retained his International Boxing Federation flyweight world title on Saturday with a sixth-round technical knockout of South African Moruti Mthalane.

Referee Joe Cortez stopped the fight at 1:31 of the sixth after Donaire had opened a cut on the inside of Mthalane’s left eyelid.

Donaire improved to 21-1 with 13 victories inside the distance, while Mthalane fell to 22-3, with 15 knockouts.
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