Wanheng Menayothin made the fifth successful defense of his WBC strawweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Saul Juarez Tuesday at the City Hall Ground in Chonburi, Thailand. The scores were 115-113, 116-112 and 116-113, all for the hometown fighter.

Despite the close scores, Menayothin (43-0, 17 knockouts) remained the boss for most of the fight, thanks to his jab, controlling the action in lieu of eye-catching exchanges. Menayothin, rated No. 1 by THE RING at 105 pounds, was content to potshot with his power punches while reserving his energy for the distance.

Juarez (23-5-1, 12 KOs), who hadn’t lost since dropping a decision to Milan Melindo in the Philippines five fights ago, was not easily discouraged in his first world title opportunity, as he tried to make a fight of it in the fourth and fifth by becoming aggressive. However, the 30-year-old Menayothin’s punches were more accurate, as he connected with enough right hands to comfortably take the decision.

The points win brought Menayothin’s five-fight knockout streak to an end.