Moments ago at the Cotai Arena in Macau, China, WBA jr. welterweight champion Jessie Vargas defeated challenger Antonio DeMarco, winning a dominant unanimous decision victory after 12 rounds. Vargas started off fast, racking up round after round before DeMarco finally started to have a little success in the middle rounds. Vargas, however, maintained control of the fight down the stretch. Relive all the action in FightHype's round-by-round results!
ROUND 1
Both fighters start off cautious. They both fall short with punches. DeMarco gets in a left to the body. Vargas pumping his jab. Straight left lands for DeMarco. Vargas fires a right to the body. Another nice right to the body for Vargas. DeMarco touches him with a left upstairs. Left for DeMarco. Two body shots for Vargas. Stiff jab lands for Vargas. Close round, but I give to the challenger.
Vargas 9 DeMarco 10
ROUND 2
DeMarco lands a left. Jab lands for DeMarco. Nice left hook gets in for Vargas. 1-2 lands for Vargas. DeMarco lands a left and Vargas is cut. They trade some shots. Nice right to the body lands for Vargas. HARD 1-2 lands for DeMarco. Nice straight right lands for Vargas. Another. They trade at the end. Round to Vargas.
Vargas 19 DeMarco 19
ROUND 3
Jab lands for Vargas. DeMarco looking to inch closer. They trade some shots. Vargas digs a right to the body and a right upstairs. Nice combo lands for Vargas. Right hand down the middle lands for Vargas. Another. Vargas digs to the body. DeMarco lands two nice right hooks. Vargas digs his own hook to the body. DeMarco ansers. HARD left uppercut to the body lands for DeMarco. Vargas answers. Nice uppercut lands for Vargas. Left hook upstairs lands for Vargas. Round to Vargas.
Vargas 29 DeMarco 28
ROUND 4
Left lands for DeMarco. Vargas lands to the body. Right lands for DeMarco. They trade shots. Nice right down the middle lands for Vargas. Another right lands for Vargas. Right to the body and a left upstairs lands for Vargas. Again. Left hook gets in for DeMarco. Vargas digs to the body. Uppercut lands for DeMarco. Another. Vargas fires back to the body. Uppercut lands for Vargas. HARD straight right lands for Vargas. Vargas digs to the body. DeMarco lands a right to the body. Round to Vargas.
Vargas 39 DeMarco 37
ROUND 5
Right down the middle lands for Vargas. Short hook lands for DeMarco. Jab lands for Vargas. 1-2 lands for Vargas. HARD right lands for Vargas and DeMarco backs up. Another BIG right lands for Vargas. Vargas digging to the body and chopping DeMarco down. Another big right lands for Vargas. Vargas landing a lot on the inside. DeMarco gets in an uppercut. Uppercut from Vargas now. Nice combo lands for Vargas. They trade hooks. DeMarco gets in a right to the body. Round to Vargas.
Vargas 49 DeMarco 46
ROUND 6
Stiff jab lands for Vargas. Left hook lands for Vargas. Right to the body and a left hook upstairs from Vargas. Vargas digs a combination to the body. They trade on the inside. They trade uppercuts. Straight right lands for Vargas. DeMarco gets in a hook. Vargas lands a right. Vargas digs to the body. Left hook from Vargas. HARD right from Vargas followed by a nice combo. Round to Vargas.
Vargas 59 DeMarco 55
ROUND 7
They trade to the body. DeMarco lands a 1-2. They trade upstairs. DeMarco lands a 1-2. They trade some shots on the inside. They continue to trade uppercuts and body shots on the inside. HARD uppercut lands for DeMarco, who appears to have picked it up this round. Nice 1-2 lands for DeMarco. Right lands for DeMarco. They trade in the center of the ring. Round to DeMarco.
Vargas 68 DeMarco 65
ROUND 8
Left hand from DeMarco backs Vargas up to the ropes. Nice combo lands for Vargas. They trade against the ropes. Good exchange. Vargas lands some nice shots. Left hook lands for Vargas. Double left hook lands for Vargas. Right hand down the middle lands for Vargas. Uppercut lands for DeMarco. HARD right lands for Vargas. Uppercut lands for Vargas. They trade on the inside. Round to Vargas.
Vargas 78 DeMarco 74
ROUND 9
Right hand lands for Vargas. HARD left lands for DeMarco that knocks Vargas back. They trade against the ropes. Vargas smiles and covers up. DeMarco lands an uppercut. Vargas fires back though. They continue to trade in the center of the ring. Uppercut lands for Vargas. Nice combo lands for Vargas. 1-2 lands for DeMarco. Right hook lands for DeMarco. Nice uppercut lands for DeMarco. Another. Hard chopping left lands for DeMarco. Vargas gets in a hook. Right hook lands for DeMarco. Round to DeMarco.
Vargas 87 DeMarco 84
ROUND 10
Vargas gets in a right. DeMarco jabs. Uppercut lands for DeMarco. HARD right from DeMarco has Vargas staggering back. Vargas digs to the body, but he eats an uppercut. They trade in the center of the ring. Uppercut lands for DeMarco. Vargas answers. Vargas digs to the body. Right hand and a left hook lands for Vargas. Round to Vargas.
Vargas 97 DeMarco 93
ROUND 11
Counter right lands for Vargas. Jab lands for Vargas. BIG right from Vargas snaps the head back of DeMarco. Vargas digs to the body. DeMarco not letting his hands go right now. Right and a left lands for Vargas. Jab lands for Vargas. Straight left lands for DeMarco. Vargas lands a couple of hooks. Round to Vargas.
Vargas 107 DeMarco 102
ROUND 12
Vargas fires to the body. Right upstairs lands for Vargas. Quick combo to the body lands for Vargas. Again. DeMarco touches him with a right. Jab lands for Vargas. DeMarco gets in a right. Nice couple of right hands land for Vargas. Overhand right lands for Vargas. 1-2 lands for Vargas. Round to Vargas.
Vargas 117 DeMarco 111
Official judges scorecards: 116-112, 116-112, 116-112
THE WINNER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION...JESSIE VARGAS
[ Follow Ben Thompson on Twitter @fighthype ]