GLENDALE, Ariz. – History.

In the case of Seniesa Estrada, herstory.

Seniesa Estrada utilized movement and boxing ability to defeat Yokasta Valle by unanimous decision Friday night before a vocal crowd at the Desert Diamond Arena.

All three judges scored the bout 97-93 in favor of Estrada (26-0, 9 knockouts), who retained her Ring Magazine strawweight champion and became the undisputed champion at 105 pounds. Estrada is currently No. 5 in the pound-for-pound rankings.

“I feel better,” said Estrada after the fight. “I’m happy. It’s something I’ve been wanting for a long time, becoming undisputed. It finally happened, and I accomplished my dreams. I’m beyond overwhelmed and happy.”

The highly anticipated grudge match lived up to expectations.

During the opening round, Valle suffered a cut along the right side of her eye. Replays showed the cut occurred from an accidental clash of heads during an exchange.

Valle, No. 1 at 105 and N0. 9 pound-for-pound, attempted to walk down and outwork the unbeaten switch-hitter.

Estrada began the third round fighting from a conventional stance. Both fighters stood more in the pocket during that round, where Estrada connected with a right cross, but was left open to get countered by a left hook from Valle later in the round.

Midway during the fifth round, Valle landed a right-left combination upstairs. Estrada continued to switch between southpaw and conventional stance, but that tactic did little to throw off Valle.

Valle found success landing straight right and right crosses to the head of Estrada, which caused some swelling around Estrada’s left eye.

From the seventh round on, Estrada made the adjustment to fight from a conventional stance. Estrada threwand land more left hooks to the head of Valle, who took the punches well. Estrada made Valle miss and capitalized with counter hooks and crosses to the head.

Valle landed several right hands flush to the head of Estrada in a big tenth round. It was not enough as Estrada had accumulated enough of the earlier rounds to win the fight.

“The difference in the fight, I knew she would come in and be aggressive like she always is,” said Estrada. “That’s her style, and I knew I would take everything away from her that she does best.”

After the decision was announced, a majority of the crowd booed the decision. That reaction extended into Estrada’s post-fight interview with ESPN’s Mark Kriegel.

Estrada last fought on July 28, defeating Leonela Yudica by unanimous decision. It was during the second round of that fight where Estrada likely aggravated a ligament in her right, which required surgery in early September. A hand specialist not only confirmed the ligament damage, but also a fracture and cyst on her knuckle that had to get shaved down.

Valle, who resides in San Jose, Costa Rica, falls to 30-3, 9 KOs. In her previous fight on November 4, Valle defeated Anabel Ortiz by unanimous decision in what turned out to be her final defense of her IBF and WBO world title belts.

“I did feel (the headbutt that opened the cut) was intentional,” said Valle after the fight. “I felt that she did that coming towards me in the first round, and I had to struggle through that for the last nine rounds.”

The 31-year-old had won world title belts in three different weight classes. She hadn’t lost since a June 2018 unanimous decision to Tina Rupprecht. Estrada defeated the unbeaten Rupprecht to unify the Ring, WBC and WBA titles last March in Fresno, California.

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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