LAS VEGAS – Seniesa Estrada found a way to win Friday night and that victory could bring her the fight she has most wanted.

Estrada won a hard-fought unanimous decision over Leonela Yudica inside The Pearl Theatre at the Palms Casino Resort.

All three judges scored the bout 97-93 in favor of Estrada, who retained her Ring Magazine strawweight championship, including her unified WBC and WBA title belts at 105 pounds.

Facing a fighter with reach and slightly taller than her, Estrada had her hands full against Yudica, a former IBF world flyweight titleholder.

Estrada was at her best when she initiated exchanges between the two. Not to be outdone, Yudica did connect with left hooks to the head of Estrada as both were in the pocket during exchanges.

Estrada had her hands full with former beltholder Yudica. Photo by Mikael Ona for The Ring.

Estrada varied her offense, eventually focusing her attack on Yudica’s body. Yudica continued fighting a disciplined fight, looking to land left hooks to the head.

As the fight entered into the second half, the ebb-and-flow produced solid exchanges between the two. Estrada would switch from conventional to southpaw, back to conventional in hopes of landing her own share of left hooks to the head. That tactic worked well as she did land left hooks to the head and body.

Estrada clearly won round 10, effectively moving in and out of Yudica’s reach. After the bell sounded to end the fight, both fighters embraced each other.

“I had to show something different,” said Estrada after the fight. “She’s a boxer and a mover, but my style was very versatile. I knew she was going to hang in there. I had to utilize my footwork. I had to use more feints.”

During her post-fight interview, Yokasta Valle entered the ring. She had watched the entire fight from ringside. Estrada has pushed for a fight against Valle, who owns the IBF and WBO strawweight title belts, and hopes the fight will finally happen.

“I want Yokasta Valle next. She can just give me (her world) belts right now. When we fight, it’s going to be bad.”

Valle replied, “You have what I want and I want what you have. Let’s fight.”

Should both fight, the winner will become the undisputed champion at 105 pounds and would own the Ring Magazine championship.

Yudica, who resides in San Juan, Argentina, falls to 19-2-3, 1 KO.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at [email protected]

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