Pedro Taduran retained his IBF minimumweight title with a unanimous decision over Spain’s Brandon Moreno on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time) at the Kiva Auditorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, winning by scores of 115-113, 115-113, and 120-108 after 12 rounds.
It was Taduran’s fourth successful defense of his second reign, improving his record to 21-4-1 with 14 knockouts. He had previously stopped Gustavo “Smiley” Perez in April. Moreno, fighting outside Spain for the first time, suffered his first loss and fell to 16-1 with five knockouts.
Pressure Against Movement
The southpaw Taduran set the pace from the opening bell and pressed forward for most of the fight, looking to close the distance and attack the body. Moreno, an orthodox fighter, tried to use movement, a low guard, and counterpunching to keep the champion at range. He had some success early and in spots, making Taduran miss with counters.
But Taduran’s cleaner, more consistent punches generally landed with greater clarity. His body shots, in particular, became more effective and damaging from the ninth round onward. Moreno remained game and competitive, showing good movement and resilience, but he could not fully neutralize the champion’s relentless pressure and volume.
The scorecards showed how competitive it was, with one outlier. Two judges had it 115-113, while the third scored a wide 120-108 shutout for Taduran.
Without His Trainer
Notably, Taduran defended his belt without his regular trainer, Carl Peñalosa, who was unable to secure a visa from the US Embassy. Veteran coach Joven Jimenez and former world champion Jerwin Ancajas worked the corner instead. Taduran had admitted before the fight that adapting to Jimenez’s different style was a bit of a challenge.
He weighed in at 104 pounds, a pound under the limit, and was a heavy favorite at -1100. The fight was a mandatory defense, as the IBF’s top-rated contender, China’s Zhu Dianxing, was not available because of management issues. The bout headlined the prelims on Wynn Records Network, ahead of a DAZN card. Moreno had been rated No. 4 by the IBF.
It wasn’t a spectacular performance. But it was a solid, workmanlike one. Taduran imposed his style, outworked his challenger, and showed the experience and pressure that make him the top fighter in the division for many observers, even if Moreno made it closer than the wide scorecard suggested.
