With thoughts of his native Cuba on his mind, Yoenis ‘El Bandolero’ Téllez stepped into the ring at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas to face Brian Mendoza in the co-main event of the card headlined by Sebastián Fundora vs. Keith Thurman, organized by PBC and broadcast worldwide on Prime Video and DAZN.
Téllez faced an unexpected adversity in the third round when an accidental headbutt from Mendoza caused a fracture to his nasal septum, resulting in heavy bleeding and a nearly five-minute medical timeout granted by referee Harvey Dock.
“My corner brought me back into the fight. I’m a warrior, and they told me, ‘You’ve got guts,’” Téllez said after the bout, describing his pain as “10 out of 10.” Despite the injury, he maintained his composure and recovered to continue the contest.
In the fourth round, Téllez landed a couple of effective right hands as the swelling in his nose began to subside. Mendoza responded in the sixth and seventh rounds with heavy combinations that pushed the Cuban back, but Téllez countered with repeated jabs to maintain the pace through the eighth round.
The ninth round was the climax of the fight, with “ El Bandolero” rocking Mendoza twice, including a brutal uppercut that showcased his dominance. The tenth round featured exchanges from both fighters, but Téllez’s precision and composure stood out once again.
Finally, Yoenis was awarded the victory via unanimous decision, with scores of 98-92 from Eric Cheek, and 97-93 from Patricia Morse Jarman and David Sutherland. With this win, the Cuban improves his record to 12-1, 8 KOs, solidifying his status as a junior middleweight contender after overcoming the defeat to Abas Baraou last year, in which he lost his WBA interim world title.
“First of all, I want to dedicate this victory to my people in Cuba. Everyone knows they are going through an extremely difficult time right now, but with the hope that they will soon be free, that’s all I can say,” Téllez said in the ring, sending a message of pride and resilience.
With this performance, Téllez not only reaffirms his ability to overcome adversity, but also repositions himself within the 154-pound division, currently ranked No.5 by the WBA, demonstrating why he is considered one of the most closely watched young Cuban boxers today.
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