Briedis beats Peres and on to the semis vs Usyk

WBC cruiserweight champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Mike Perez (22-3-1, 14 KOs) and reached the semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series, where he will face WBO champion Alexander Usyk. According to the rules of the tournament, this meeting will have to be held early next year.

The judges score: 116-110, 115-111 and 114-112.

The fight was rather dirty with a certain number of clinches. In the third round the referee deducted one point from Peres for allegedly intentional headbutt, after which Briedis received a cut near his left eye. In the tenth round the referee deducted one point from Briedis for the constant holding.

In general Briedis was more accurate in this fight. Perez despite long layoff was in a very good shape, he constantly went ahead but he wasn’t persistent in his attacks.