Rossel vs. Zuniga: Winner, Scorecard and Analysis

Interim WBA light flyweight champion Alberto "Chiquito" Rossel (31-8) successfully defended his title for the third time on Saturday night in his home country of Peru. Rossel fended off the inexperienced, but game Jose Alfredo Zuniga (11-5-1) and took home the decision.

Rossel used constant pressure to outwork his opponent. He was at a clear height and reach disadvantage, but he used his speed to get inside and land the more clean and effective punches. Per MMA Odds, Rossel captured the win by majority decision as one judge called the fight a draw.

Zuniga surely had his moments. In the third round—which you can see below via Jesus Edgar on YouTube—the Mexican landed his jab and hard body shots to control the action. 

Near the midway point of the fourth round, Rossel began to time Zuniga. The challenger was lunging in with wide punches and the champion started to land hard counter left hooks. You can see some evidence of this in the fourth round below.

By the final round, the fight was still close, but Rossel seemed to be the fresher fighter, and he even landed a punch that appeared to wobble Zuniga at the end of the 12th round. Rossel finished strong and deserved the decision.

Zuniga is still early in his career. He'll have an opportunity to improve, and he may even earn another shot at the title once he has garnered more experience. 

The champion was rugged and focused as usual, but the challenger's length clearly created some problems for him on Saturday night. Many boxing experts didn't consider Rossel one of the top fighters in his division despite his status as interim champion.

BoxRec.com has him listed as just the 17th best light flyweight in the world. At 35 years old, he has likely seen his best days come and go. He may have to fight less experienced fighters willing to travel to Peru if he hopes to continue his winning ways.

A matchup with lineal light flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez isn't likely to end well for Rossel. Still, he deserves credit for a hard-fought victory on Saturday night.

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