Jose Pedraza holds onto title with split decision win over Edner Cherry

Puerto Rican star Jose Pedraza remained undefeated and held on to his IBF super featherweight title with a controversial split decision victory against veteran Edner Cherry Saturday night at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.

In a fight that appeared to be very close - Showtime's unofficial ringside judge Steve Farhood scored it 115-113 for Cherry - one official ringside judge scored it 118-112 for Cherry, while the other two had it 117-111 for Pedraza. But Pedraza felt sure he won the fight.

"Definitely I won the fight," said Pedraza in his first title defense. "It was a hard fight, a tough fight, but definitely I won the fight.

"We did do a lot of work and he held me for much of the fight."

The 12-round title bout was the co-main event to the 140-pound title fight between Cincinnati's Adrien Broner and Khabib Allakhverdiev.

Pedraza (21-0, 12 KOs) started strong, using his right hand to connect to Cherry's head consistently. But Cherry, from Florida by way of the Bahamas, turned it around in the middle rounds by going to his jab and not allowing Pedraza to get off that right hand as easily.

Cherry (34-7-2, 19 KOs) was gracious in defeat, saying, "It was a good fight. I left it to the judges, and if I didn't knock him out, it was up to the judges. That's what happens when you leave it in the judges' hands. I'm not taking nothing away from Jose. He fought a good fight."

Both fighters said they would agree to a rematch, but Pedraza said Cherry would have to wait until sometime next year.