Nordine Oubaali Defeats Rau'shee Warren Via Unanimous Decision

Nordine Oubaali preserved his undefeated record and added a world title to his resume on Saturday night, defeating Rau'Shee Warren by unanimous decision to win the vacant WBC world bantamweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas

ESPN's Dan Rafael has the cards:

Oubaali was busier than Warren and did a great job of mixing in power shots throughout the night. The fight was a back-and-forth affair early on, but the 32-year-old dominated the later rounds. It was a great showing for him in the spotlight fighting on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner match.

For Warren, the fight was a missed opportunity for revenge. Fighting as featherweights, Oubaali eliminated Warren from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Warren turned pro later that year. Six-and-a-half years later, Oubaali once again proved he was the better boxer of the two. 

John Locher/Associated Press

Warren started off brightly, but after the first round, his activity waned and he failed to establish the jab. This allowed Oubaali to come forward with impunity, and a counter right staggered the American in the second round. 

Oubaali spent much of the third on the front foot, only to see Warren turn the tide at the end of the round and land a flurry of stinging power shots. 

FightNights.com's Ryan O'Hara saw good things from both boxers early on:

Warren hardly had time to breathe for stretches of the bout with Oubaali's constant feints and forward lunges. The Frenchman's counter right hook worked well throughout the bout, especially in the middle frames. Warren's lack of power made it difficult for him to dissuade his opponent's aggressive style. 

John Locher/Associated Press

The end of the seventh saw the best exchange of the fight. Oubaali rocked Warren with both the left and the right, wobbling Warren. The Cincinnati-born fighter did a good job of getting his legs under him. A couple of his counter hooks landed, but Oubaali got the better of the blistering exchange. 

Sho Stats showed a clear power advantage for Oubaali after that round:

ESPN's Steve Kim felt Warren was still in the bout as it moved to the later rounds: 

Unfortunately for Warren, he couldn't stem the tide. Oubaali was busier, more accurate and more creative in his combinations. One punch in particular kept paying dividends, per Sporting News' Andreas Hale:

Warren had trouble avoiding contact whenever he tried to put something together of his own. His flashes in the championship rounds were too little, too late. 

The fight was an entertaining scrap, which bodes well for Oubaali. This was his first fight in the United States, and he could set himself up to be on more high-profile undercards in the future. Warren's lack of power hurt him in his third pro loss, and he will need to string together a few wins to get back into championship contention.