Highlights
–Lee Selby used his height and reach advantages early, working behind a pistoning jab from the outset, which set Fernando Montiel up for a series of hard left and right hands in Round 3.
–Montiel was able to briefly swing the momentum his way in the middle of the fight, having a particularly successful Round 6, when he was able to get inside and tag Selby with combinations.
–After beginning to target the body more in Round 7, Selby began to pull away in the latter half of the fight, controlling the range and landing the harder, more precise shots on his way to earning a unanimous decision in the first defense of his 126-pound world title.
After crossing the pond for his first U.S. fight, Lee Selby proceeded to submarine his opponent in equally deep waters.
Selby, making his American debut in Glendale, Arizona, successfully defended his 126-pound world title against Fernando Montiel, who fell short in his attempt to become the fourth Mexican fighter to win a world championship in four weight classes.
Working behind a rifling jab, Selby used his length to his advantage early, circling Montiel in the center of the ring and controlling the distance.
Beginning in Round 3, Selby began to let his hands go more after bludgeoning Montiel with the aforementioned jab, landing some hard rights and buckling his opponent's knees with one in a series of crisp lefts.
Montiel did his best to get inside on Selby and get some shots off, cornering the Welshman toward the end of Round 4 and peppering him with combos. He built on this momentum, culminating in Round 6, when Montiel repeatedly hammered Selby with left hands until the champion's eye became red and swollen.
Selby, who did very little body work in the first half of the fight, began to target Montiel’s ribs in Rounds 7 and 8, grinding away down low and then going up top.
Montiel continued to come forward gamely, pressing the action throughout the night and having his moments, cracking Selby with a snapping right in Round 10 and then scoring with some uppercuts.
Selby consistently landed the harder shots, however, rocking Montiel with both hands en route to winning a unanimous decision and retaining his world title.
Lee Selby scores with a right hand during his 126-pound title defense against Fernando Montiel in Glendale, Arizona. (Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions)
