Abass Baraou Defeats Giovani Santillan By Majority Decision

Abass Baraou spoiled Giovani “Gallo de Oro” Santillan’s homecoming Friday night, defeating the Oceanside favorite by majority decision in their 10-round junior middleweight main event on September 11 at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California.

The judges scored the fight 95-95, 96-94 and 97-93 for Baraou. The victory earned the former WBA champion the vacant WBO Inter-Continental title and put him back near the front of the crowded 154-pound field.

Baraou and Santillan both weighed 153.8 pounds Thursday. The German entered as a substantial betting favorite, but Santillan’s pressure, southpaw stance, and local support made this more than a routine comeback fight.

The 97-93 card suggests Baraou did the cleaner work over the full 10 rounds, while the other two scores reflect how competitive the exchanges were. With both men preferring to come forward, neither had the luxury of controlling the contest from a safe distance. Baraou had to win exchanges against an opponent who was comfortable forcing a physical fight.

This was an important recovery for Baraou after his split decision loss to Xander Zayas in their WBA and WBO unification bout in January. A second consecutive defeat would have dropped Baraou out of the immediate title picture. Instead, he leaves California with a regional WBO belt and another route toward a championship opportunity.

The result also showed that Baraou remains a difficult fight for any of the leading junior middleweights. He lacks the promotional profile of Jaron “Boots” Ennis or Zayas, but his pressure, conditioning, and experience allow him to compete without needing favorable circumstances. Going into Santillan’s territory and taking a decision was a useful reminder of that.

Santillan entered on a three-fight winning streak after Brian Norman Jr. stopped him in 2024. He was trying to rebuild himself as a contender at 154, where the extra weight offered an escape from the increasingly punishing welterweight limit.

A majority decision loss does not remove Santillan from the division, but it weakens his position with the WBO. At 35, he has less time to work his way through another long rebuilding stretch. Baraou, meanwhile, has placed himself back within reach of the division’s biggest fights.