Valenzuela Defeats Torres by Unanimous Decision

In Las Vegas on Saturday night, Jose "Rayo" Valenzuela defeated fellow Mexican Diego Torres by unanimous decision in a 10-round lightweight bout that headlined Zuffa Boxing 02 at the UFC Apex, marking the promotion's second professional boxing card streamed live on Paramount.

Valenzuela, returning to lightweight after a challenging stint at 140 pounds where he lost his WBA title to Gary Antuanne Russell, controlled the fight with sharp movement and precise combinations to improve his record to 15-3 with nine knockouts. The southpaw, who weighed in at 134.5 pounds, faced early pressure from the orthodox Torres, who landed heavy shots and opened a cut over Valenzuela's right eye with a left hook in the fourth round. Blood flowed, but Valenzuela adjusted by resetting at awkward angles, using his jab to set up left hands and avoiding clean exchanges. Torres, 28, pushed forward with textbook Mexican-style aggression, connecting with a wobbling right in the sixth, but his output slowed as the fight progressed into longer stretches of positioning rather than sustained action.

Judges scored the bout 99-91 across the board for Valenzuela, a margin that emphasized his control in the later...