WBO super bantamweight champion Emanuel Navarrete stops Jeo Santisima

WBO super bantamweight champion Emanuel Navarrete retained his title for the fifth time Saturday night stopping game Jeo Santisima in round 11 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

The time was 2:20 seconds into round 11.

The first round was tame. Navarrete (31-1, 26 KOs) came out jabbing. Santisima, fighting for the first time in the United States, pressed the action. Navarrete touched Santisima with half hearted left hooks. Santisima (19-3, 16 KOs) fired more blows in round two. Navarrete bounced and fired a combination. Santisima connected with a right to the ribs. Navarrete was busier.

Santisima dug to the body in round three. Navarrete used movement and angles to tattoo Santisima with blows. He moved in and out, backing up and letting fly. Two right hands knocked Santisima into the ropes. Navarrete continued to get off first in round four. He landed four punches to one. One from Santisima sent Navarrete to the ropes. The champion bounced off the ropes and fired back, banking another round.

Navarrete went to the body and head in rounds five and six. Hs workrate, as usual, was high. Santisima connected with a left hook that had no effect. Navarrete unloaded shots at will. Santisima looked hurt, but hang tough. Navarrete flipped to a southpaw stance in round seven. He connected with couple of blows and then went back to orthodox.

In rounds eight and nine, Navarrete connected with an uppercut. Santisima, bleeding from the nose, fired a hook, while Navarrete was in full domination mode. Navarrete stepped into and landed a one-two. Navarrete jabbed and hooked. Santisima was surviving but little else. Navarrete connected with a left uppercut in round 10. His jab couldn’t miss. A sudden tidal wave of blows hurt Santisima again, but the challenger from the Philippines would not go down.

Navarrete went back to work in round 11. He pummeled Santisima with blow after blow until referee Russell Mora waved off the fight.

"I hurt my right thumb," said Navarrete in the ring. "The fight took a long time. Santisima is a tough guy."