Super middleweight Christian Mbilli passed his toughest test as a pro, defeating former fringe contender Ronald Ellis by 10-round unanimous decision Saturday night at the Zembo Shrine in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The official scores were 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91.

Mbilli, who is rated No. 10 by The Ring at 168 pounds, was facing his toughest pro test to date in Ellis, who was stopped in 11 rounds by former WBC titleholder David Benavidez in his previous fight on March 13.

From the opening bell, Mbilli was the aggressor, putting Ellis on the defensive with volume punching. Ellis attempted to match his opponent with his own aggression, but Mbilli continued to land at will.

Ellis was able to create some distance in Round 3, but Mbilli’s high punch rate kept him from finding any worthwhile rhythm.

The pace of the fight slowed by the sixth and favored Ellis. However, Mbilli responded with one of his best rounds in the seventh and connected with several head shots. Ellis was game and brave, but he was overwhelmed throughout much of the fight and would have been glad to hear the final bell.

Afterwards, Mbilli (19-0, 18 KOs) said that he was glad to fight in the United States and was appreciative of the amount of work he has put in throughout the past year.

“We entered the ring (to) boos and whistles but we left with a round of applause,” said Mbilli, who is trained by Marc Ramsey. “I did the job I had to do tonight and I let my team take care of the rest. I proved that I am one of the elite and that I can fight with the best, even if it is on their home turf.

“I am ready to fight anyone. Give us five days to prepare and we will find a way to win. This is just the beginning.”

Ellis, who resides in Lynn, Massachusetts, drops to 18-3-2 (12 KOs). He has lost three of his last five bouts.

Undercard

Twin brothers Angel and Antonio Perez, both of whom reside in Harrisburg, notched knockout victories in separate four-round bouts.

Junior welterweight Angel Perez improved to 5-0 (5 KOs) by dropping France’s Maxime Gilli (4-5-2, 1 KO) twice before the fight was stopped in the opening round.

Welterweight Antonio Perez (4-0, 3 KOs) stopped Jessie Addison (2-4-1, 1 KO) of Indianapolis in two rounds.

Lightweight Montana Perez was victorious, defeating Mexico City’s Apolinar Lopez, who was making his pro debut, by four-round unanimous decision. Perez improves to 2-0.

Junior middleweight Nicolas Hernandez, of nearby Reading, and France’s Salim Larby (22-11-3, 8 KOs) fought to a draw over eight rounds. Hernandez moves to 20-4-3 (8 KOs) and is unbeaten in his last 13 bouts.

Francisco A. Salazar can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @FSalazarBoxing

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