Takashi Miura made the first defense of his WBC 130-pound title with a close unanimous decision over Sergio Thompson in a rough-and-tumble fight on Saturday in Thompson’s adopted hometown of Cancun, Mexico.

Miura, who scored a sixth-round knockdown but was dropped by Thompson in the eighth, won by scores of 114-111, 114-110 and 113-112. The fight was wild and sloppy at times but it was also entertaining as most expected it to be given both fighters’ reputations as gutsy punchers.

Miura (26-2-2, 19 knockouts), THE RING’s No. 7-rated junior lightweight, had won his last three bouts by knockout, including his impressive title-winning ninth-round stoppage of Gamaliel Diaz in April. Thompson (27-2, 25 KOs) had won his last 11 bouts by knockout, including an upset second-round stoppage over two-division titleholder Jorge Linares last March.

The two did not disappoint as the bout boiled down to the Japanese southpaw’s vaunted left vs. the rugged Mexican’s heavy right hand. There was a lot of holding and grappling but there was also a lot of hard puching. Both fighters were stunned in the sixth round, but the busier and more aggressive Mirua scored the knockdown in that round. 

A short right from Thompson dropped Miura in the eighth but the Japanese veteran got up immediately and pressed the crowd favorite. Mirua ate many follow up shots from Thompson as he advanced but he worked the Mexican over along the ropes in the final 30 seconds of the round.

Miura rocked Thompson early in the 10th and continued to outwork the tiring local favorite along the ropes during that round and the championship rounds.