Chilemba scores big Vegas win

Saturday, February 4th, 2012 | Post By

LAS VEGAS (SuperSport)-Isaac Chilemba beat Edison Miranda on points in a light-heavyweight bout in Las Vegas on Friday night.

Chilemba, who was born in Malawi but lives in and fights out of Johannesburg, won a tough scrap 97-91, 96-92 and 96-92.

Miranda was bleeding from a cut on the side of his head from the third round, in which he came off second best from a clash of heads.

Chilemba improved his record to 19-1-1, including nine stoppage wins, in probably the best win of his career. Miranda’s record fell to 35-7; 30.

Chilemba, 24, drew with IBO super-middleweight champion Thomas Oosthuizen in November 2010.

In March last year, he beat Russian Maxim Vlasov on points after being knocked down twice in the eighth round.

In his most recent fight, on October 1 last year, he knocked out Jameson Bostic (23-4) in the second round.

Miranda has been in with the likes of Lucien Bute, Kelly Pavlik, Arthur Abraham and Andre Ward.

Despaign and Miranda were scheduled to meet in a grudge rematch after Miranda lost on a disqualification last year. But when Despaign pulled out, Chilemba stepped up and made the most of the opportunity.

On the same card, heavyweight Magmoed Abdusalamov remained undefeated at 13-0, all by knockout, when he stopped Pedro Rodriquez (8-1) in the second round.

South African Ali Funeka is also in for a good payday in the United States.

Funeka will defend his WBF junior welterweight title against former IBF super-featherweight champion Steve Forbes in Detroit or Washington on April 24.