Abass Baraou takes Yoenis Téllez’s undefeated record: how it happened

Yoenis Téllez lost the interim World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight title after being defeated by Abass Baraou via unanimous decision. The German fighter of Togolese descent earned scores of 116–111, 115–112, and 117–110 at the Caribe Royale in Orlando. A native of Aalen, Baden-Württemberg, Baraou landed 214 of his 745 punches, leaving “El Bandolero” badly battered.

Téllez opened the first round behind his jab, trying to size up his opponent, but Baraou quickly fired back with fast combinations to the Cuban’s body. Despite the German’s efforts, Téllez showed little sign of damage. The Cuban, nicknamed “El Bandolero,” began the second round with straight shots to the head, only for Baraou to counter sharply. The German pressed forward, believing he had Téllez trapped, but the champion’s guard held. Baraou tried to pin him in the corner but failed to land effectively, and the round ended evenly.

In the third, the Santiago de Cuba native used his movement to evade pressure. Though cornered at one point, Téllez slipped away and tried to break through with uppercuts, but Baraou’s tight guard held firm.

Early in the fourth, Téllez connected with a left hook to the head. Baraou absorbed the blow and answered with body shots, soon cornering the champion again and landing strong combinations upstairs. The bell ended the round with both men still standing.

By the fifth, Téllez’s face showed clear damage, and he became more cautious. Baraou exploited gaps in the guard, landing on the body and mixing in uppercuts that snapped the Cuban’s head back. In the sixth, Baraou loaded up on power shots, most of which were blocked, but he returned to his uppercut strategy to good effect. Téllez felt the punishment yet managed to escape danger with his footwork, though he finished the round breathing heavily.

Both men showed fatigue in the seventh. Baraou slowed his output until the final minute, when he unleashed combinations that further marked Téllez’s face. The Cuban absorbed several uppercuts and head shots but stayed upright until the bell.

The eighth round followed a similar pattern. Téllez’s jab was consistently countered, and Baraou punished him with a steady stream of uppercuts before closing the round with two left hooks.

The ninth began after a delay to adjust Baraou’s glove tape. Téllez tried to return the favor with uppercuts of his own, but they had little impact. His tiring arms left him open to repeated hooks to the head. Frustrated, “El Bandolero” threw a punch after the bell.

Téllez started the 10th aggressively, but Baraou quickly reestablished control with combinations to the head. In the final minute, the Cuban nearly went down under heavy fire. Once again, he threw a late punch after the bell, though the referee took no action.

The pace slowed early in the 11th, but Baraou soon pressed forward, cornering Téllez again. The Cuban slipped away but failed to land anything that troubled the challenger.

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In the 12th and final round, Baraou closed strong. Quick combinations to the jaw staggered Téllez, who clung to survive. In the final seconds, he went down with 15 seconds left, but the count saved him from a knockout loss. The decision was never in doubt: Abass Baraou was crowned the new WBA interim super welterweight champion.

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