Lee Selby defended his IBF featherweight title against Eric Hunter, getting up from a second-round knockdown to outwork the dangerous but lackadaisical contender from Philadelphia by unanimous decision on Saturday in London.

Selby (23-1, 8 knockouts), of Barry, Wales, was dropped hard by a counter left hook in Round 2, but was in command for most of the fight due to his aggression, control of distance and far superior punch output. The Welshman won by scores of 116-110 (twice) and 115-111 on the undercard of the Charles Martin-Anthony Joshua fight at the O2 Arena.

Hunter (21-4, 11 KOs), a talented 29-year-old boxer-puncher, entered the bout with the reputation of being a dark horse in the 126-pound division thanks to four consecutive sharp outings coming into the Selby fight, which was televised on Sky Sports in the UK and on Showtime in the U.S. However, Hunter inexplicably remained in counter-punching mode after scoring the second-round knockdown, while the 29-year-old Welshman took advantage of his considerable height and reach advantages (as well as the American’s lack of a jab and combination punching) by alternately sticking and moving with a busy jab and taking the fight right to the challenger.

Hunter landed clean right hands and occasional hooks to the head and body of Selby but the Welshman landed far more clean power shots (mainly his right cross). And after a few warnings for borderline low blows, referee Marcus McDonnell docked Hunter for a low blow in Round 8, a good stanza for the challenger, and the Philly native seemed to unravel a bit mentally during the penalization. (Hunter’s corner argued with McDonnell between rounds, which didn’t help the fighter out as the British ref gave him another stern warning in Round 9.)

The points victory over Hunter is Selby’s second defense of the IBF belt he won from Evgeny Gradovich last May. Selby is reportedly targeting the winner of the proposed featherweight showdown between Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton.