Resendiz beats Mazoudier by unanimous decision in Las Vegas

A late rally secured Armando Resendiz’s unanimous decision over Koen Mazoudier, but the scorecards gave little indication of the strain involved. The former WBA super middleweight champion had to withstand an increasingly effective opponent before hurting him in the closing exchanges of their ten round contest at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Eric Cheek scored it 98 to 92, while Max De Luca and Don Trella each returned 97 to 93. Resendiz deserved the victory. Mazoudier, who made him fight for it throughout, deserved considerably more credit than those margins might suggest.

This was a useful recovery for Resendiz after losing his championship to Jaime Munguia in May, and a demanding American debut for Mazoudier. Resendiz had upset Caleb Plant in May of the previous year to win the interim WBA championship before his subsequent elevation and eventual defeat by Munguia. The Mexican, 27, entered with 16 victories and three defeats, including 11 stoppage wins. Mazoudier, 31, brought 16 victories, four defeats and one draw, with six stoppages. The Australian had won four successive contests since his ninth round defeat by Nikita Tszyu in August 2024, most recently taking a majority decision over Sam Beck in August. Accustomed to competing at super welterweight, he was meeting an established opponent two divisions above that limit. Resendiz weighed 167 pounds, Mazoudier 166.8.

Neither man had enjoyed a straightforward route to this engagement. Mazoudier was due to face Jermall Charlo, whose training injury brought Resendiz into the contest at short notice. Their bout then became the chief support to Sebastian Fundora’s championship defence against Ermal Hadribeaj when Brandon Figueroa withdrew from his scheduled meeting with Tomoki Kameda through illness after failing to make weight. The replacement contest justified its promotion. On a programme altered by withdrawals, these two supplied ten rounds of sustained, competitive work.

Mazoudier advanced from the opening stages, presenting Resendiz with opportunities to pick his punches. The Mexican initially made better use of the exchanges, finding the head and body while the Australian worked to establish himself. Resendiz’s cleaner connections and greater activity gave him the advantage as the contest developed. Mazoudier was willing to engage, but willingness alone did not prevent him from taking the more effective punches. Through the opening five rounds, CompuBox credited Resendiz with 94 power punches landed against Mazoudier’s 58.

The fifth appeared to strengthen Resendiz’s position. He was landing heavily enough to make Mazoudier’s task look increasingly difficult, yet the Australian refused to let the contest follow that course. In the sixth, his punches began arriving with greater consistency. Resendiz spent more time standing in front of him and exchanging rather than picking him off. The change gave Mazoudier the opportunities he had been seeking. Having absorbed the Mexican’s early work, he was now making his own pressure count.

Mazoudier’s recovery continued through the second half. He landed to the head and body, forced Resendiz to retreat at times and made the favourite work much harder to preserve his advantage. The ninth was particularly productive for the Australian, whose combinations repeatedly caught the Mexican and brought the contest towards a much less comfortable conclusion. CompuBox’s figures reflected the reversal: across rounds six to nine, Mazoudier landed 76 power punches to Resendiz’s 47. The early deficit remained, but the man supposedly being worn down was producing the stronger challenge.

Both were still throwing freely in the last round. Mazoudier continued to find Resendiz, who looked tired and was obliged to summon a forceful response. He found it with a late combination, including a hard right hand that sent the Australian stumbling backwards. Mazoudier stayed upright and reached the bell. Resendiz landed 43 punches in that final round, including 32 power shots, his most productive round of the contest. The effort secured a strong finish to a fight that his opponent had made increasingly uncomfortable.

Resendiz finished with 272 punches landed from 808 thrown, compared with Mazoudier’s 214 from 729. His advantage included 99 jabs to 63 and 173 power punches to 151; the body punch count was 59 to 44. Those figures supported his greater overall output without concealing the Australian’s substantial contribution. “I had to box and move a little bit,” Resendiz acknowledged afterwards. His adjustment mattered, as did his ability to find another sustained attack when Mazoudier threatened to finish the stronger man.

The result improved Resendiz’s record to 17 victories and three defeats, with his 11 stoppages unchanged. Mazoudier left with 16 victories, five defeats and one draw, and six stoppages. Resendiz has resumed winning after his championship setback, although this was an examination rather than a comfortable rebuilding exercise. Mazoudier leaves without the result he wanted, but his resistance, late pressure and willingness to trade with the more accomplished opponent gave the evening one of its strongest contests.

I thought Resendiz deserved the win, but the scorecards made this look far more comfortable than it was. Mazoudier gave him a proper examination. Early on, Resendiz was picking the cleaner punches, working between head and body and making the Australian pay for coming forward. That was where his better boxing showed. When he stood in front of Mazoudier and allowed the exchanges to continue, he made his own evening considerably harder.

What impressed me about Mazoudier was that he kept finding ways back into the fight. He absorbed some heavy punches, but there was more to his performance than toughness. His pressure became productive because he started landing more consistently to the body and head, forcing Resendiz backwards rather than simply following him. Resendiz needed movement and changes of distance to interrupt that momentum. Standing and trading suited Mazoudier, especially once the Mexican began tiring.

Resendiz’s finish deserves credit. With Mazoudier still pressing and having success, he found the combination that sent him stumbling backwards. Producing that response when you are tired says plenty about your conditioning and composure. But I would not let the late success cover up the defensive lapses that made it necessary.

For me, Resendiz leaves with a deserved victory and some clear work to do. Mazoudier leaves with his reputation strengthened. He showed he could make an accomplished opponent adjust, dig deep and earn the result. I would happily see him get another opportunity at this level.