Jesus Cuellar dominates Jonathan Oquendo to retain WBA featherweight title

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Jesus Cuellar retained his WBA featherweight title Saturday, but it wasn't the explosive performance he was looking for.

It wasn't his fault. Cuellar pressed the fight from the onset, and threw 994 punches, but Jonathan Oquendo didn't oblige him. The challenger had his track shoes on and ran for most of the contest without throwing back. Cuellar settled for a unanimous decision - scores of 120-107, 116-111 and 116-111 - at Barclays Center on Showtime.

"He was a good opponent," Cuellar said. "I knew he was going to come forward but he used his head too much. I feel very good, it was a great fight for me. It was a very hard camp and i knew it was going to be a difficult fight. I wanted to knock him out but with the head-butting it was impossible. I want to fight two more fights at this weight and then move up, and I want to fight Leo Santa Cruz next."

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Cuellar landed a left hand that resulted a knockdown in Round 4 after their legs became tangled up, and that was the most drama that occurred all fight. The 28-year-old Argentine pressed forward and looked to land a big shot, but Oquendo (26-5, 16 KOs) was able to evade off his back foot. The Puerto Rican threw 639 shots and landed just 167 (26%). He was coming off a career-best victory over former champ Jhonny Gonzalez.

Cuellar, who goes by the moniker El Forastero after his fallen horse of the same name, owns knockout victories over veterans Vic Darchinyan and Juan Manuel Lopez. He'll look to add Santa Cruz to that list in 2016.

(Photo: Rich Schultz, AP)