Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Junior featherweight prospect Diego De La Hoya defeated Giovanni Delgado by a unanimous decision Friday at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Delgado (15-4, 9 knockouts) had his moments but ultimately was outworked by De La Hoya (13-0, 7 knockouts), who won seven of the eight rounds on all three cards.

Both fighters are from Mexico.

“I knew he (Delgado) was going to be a tough opponent,” De La Hoya said. “I used to spar with him when I was 15 years old so I was familiar with his style but I think now I am a faster and more intelligent fighter and that’s what gave me the victory tonight. This victory also proved to me that I have a great passion for the sport and hope to become a world champion soon.

“I’m not going to quit until I achieve my goal. I want to thank all the fans that came out to support me and I’m glad I closed out the year with victory.”

In the co-main event, Alan Sanchez (17-3-1, 9 KOs) stopped previously unbeaten prospect John Karl Sosa (13-1, 6 KOs) in the sixth round of a scheduled eight-round welterweight bout.

Sanchez put Sosa down three times in the final round, forcing the referee to stop the fight.

Sanchez, from Fairfield, California, has won five consecutive fights since he was outpointed by former 147-pound titleholder Luis Collazo in 2013.

“I think my experience showed tonight,” Sanchez said. “I was able to beat the favorite tonight, a young undefeated top prospect, and this win means a lot to me and my career. I won and in a great way, dropping him three times in the sixth round. This win proves that I have grown as a fight and am ready to go to the next level and compete for a regional title.”

Also, Horacio Garcia (30-1, 22 KOs) scored a second-round knockout over Raul Hidalgo (24-14, 18 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round featherweight bout and, in an eight-round junior featherweight bout, Erik Ruiz (15-4, 6 KOs) defeated Roy Tapia (11-1-2, 6 KOs) by a split decision.

The announced crowd was 1,339.