By Scott Gilfoid: Jaime McDonnell (21-2-1, 9 KO’s) defeated previously unbeaten slugger Julio Ceja (24-1, 22 KO) by a 12 round majority decision on Saturday night to capture the vacant IBF bantamweight title at the Keepmoat Stadium, in Doncaster, United Kingdom. The final judges’ scores were 114-114, 115-113, 118-110.
I have no idea what the fight the judge who scored it 118-110 was watching because that was a score that didn’t jibe with what happened in the actual fight. At least the other judge saw the fight correctly.
I agreed with the 115-113 score. Ceja didn’t do enough and waited too long to get his offense started, as he was fighting with too much patience until the fight had gotten away from him.
Ceja hurt McDonnell in the 11th round with a hard left hook to the head followed by some solid rights. Somehow McDonnell was able to survive the round and make it into the 12th.
In the 12th, McDonnell got away with some head-butting and pulling down on Ceja’s head that should have cost him a point. It wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the fight, but I thought McDonnell head-butting like a skinny billy goat in that round and definitely he should have lost points.
Ceja just couldn’t handle the movement from McDonell and he fought with way too much patience as I mentioned earlier. He can punch but he was acting like he was a devastating puncher and that he figured McDonnell would get knocked down with a single shot sooner or later. As it turns out, Ceja lacked the kind of huge power needed to do get the job done, although I have no doubts he would have knocked McDonnell out had he stood in front of him for 12 rounds instead of running.
The problem for Ceja was McDonnell moved constantly, changing directions every few seconds, pulling down on his head and leaning forward when it close so that his head would come in contact with Ceja’s. A better fighter than Ceja would have beaten McDonell no problems. If this had been Leo Santa Cruz in there instead of Ceja, McDonnell could have run and rammed him with his head all night, and he still would have been royally screwed because Santa Cruz is a much more advanced fighter than Ceja with better size, power and skills. McDonnell would have been knocked out or demoralized to the point where all he could do is run.
Other boxing results on the card:
Carl Spencer TKO 2 Ferenc Zsalek
Stuart Hall UD 12 Sergio Perales
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