Former 108-pound title challenger Juan Francisco Estrada upset Brian Viloria in stirring 12-round battle to earn the 32-year-old veteran’s WBA and WBO flyweight belts via split decision, in the main event of an HBO2-televised card from the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in Macau on Saturday. 

Viloria won the early rounds with harder, more-accurate punching, but Estrada kept the Filipino-American from taking over the bout by employing lateral movement while commiting to the body whenever he planted his feet. The 22-year-old boxer-slugger from Hermasillo, Sonora, Mexico, stood his ground more in the middle rounds and outworked Viloria, who gamely — but perhaps foolishly — engaged with the bigger, stronger and younger fighter.

The toe-to-toe infighting took a toll on Viloria and Estrada (23-2, 17 knockouts) took advantage of it by pressing the fight in the late rounds. Estrada won by scores of 117-111 and 116-111. Viloria (32-4, 19 KOs) won a 115-113 tally on one card.

Estrada gave undefeated WBA junior flyweight betholder Roman Gonzalez a tough and exciting 12-round fight last November, dropping a competitive decision to the Nicaraguan standout.

Also on the card, WBO 130-pound titleholder Roman “Rocky” Martinez turned back mandatory challenger Diego Magdaleno, earning a narrow split decision over the previously unbeaten contender from Las Vegas.

Martinez (27-1-2, 16 KOs) scored a knockdown with a straight right hand in the fourth round, which prevented the bout from being scored a split-draw. The Puerto Rican veteran won by scores of 115-112 and 114-113.

Magdaleno (23-1, 9 KOs), who fought very well in spots but didn’t press hard enough down the stretch, won by a 116-111 tally on one card.

In a 10-round undercard bout that was not televsied on HBO2, Japanese veteran Yasutaka Ishimoto won a majority decision over former WBO 122-pound titleholder Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. in his first bout outside of Japan. Ishimoto (22-6, 5 KOs) outworked the Puerto Rican contender to win by scores of 96-93, 95-94 and 95-95.

Vazquez (22-3-1, 19 KOs), who was dropped by Ishimoto in the eighth round of their fight, was one bout removed from his decision loss to Nonito Donaire last February.

In the main attraction of the Top Rank-promoted event, 31-year-old Chinese junior flyweight Zou Shiming, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time world amateur champion, earned a four-round unanimous decision over game but out-classed Eleazar Valenzuela in his pro debut.

Zou, who won by unanimous scores of 40-36, is trained by Freddie Roach.

Valenzuela, of Guasave, Mexico, is 2-2-2 with one knockout.

Photo / Chris Farina-TOP RANK