Chantelle Cameron soundly outboxed one of the sport’s best pound-for-pound boxers to prove her place among the elite.

A terrific boxing display by the unbeaten Brit paved the way for the crowning of an undisputed junior welterweight champion in Cameron’s landslide points win over Chicago’s Jessica McCaskill. Scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 96-94 landed in favor of Cameron, the defending WBC/IBF champ who added the WBA, IBO and WBO titles to her collection in their DAZN-aired co-feature Saturday evening from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

McCaskill moved back down in weight, as the reigning undisputed welterweight queen sought to collect all the belts at junior welterweight where she previously served as a unified titlist. She vowed to make things uncomfortable for Cameron, attempting to make good on that promise from the opening bell. Cameron was prepared for McCaskill’s aggressive, onrushing approach, using her jab to neutralize the welterweight champion’s attack. A clash of heads produced a knot outside of the left eye of McCaskill, who struggled to find her rhythm.

Cameron stuck to the basics, working her jab to beat McCaskill to the punch, Despite fighting at her desired distance, Cameron was more effective on the inside while McCaskill’s best moments came from long range.

McCaskill landed a left hook in round three, her best punch of the fight to that point. Cameron took the shot well, continuing to throw straight punches.

Cameron landed an uppercut in round four, coming as McCaskill was wide with a left hand while dipping her head. McCaskill managed a compact right hand upstairs but was significantly outworked by Cameron both at close range and from the outside.

Cameron found herself on the canvas in round five, correctly ruled a slip. McCaskill raced across the ring in an effort to capitalize on the sequence, only to be turned away by the referee. McCaskill landed a right hand late in the round, immediately met with a flurry by Cameron just before the bell.

McCaskill connected with a left hook late in round six but was wild with a right hand behind it. Cameron used lateral movement to minimize McCaskill’s power punches before closing the gap midway through round seven. McCaskill missed with the majority of her punches, reaching with right hands and left hooks rather than attempting to set up attack. Cameron jabbed downstairs and then ended the seventh round with a right hand over McCaskill’s left.

Cameron was forced on the defensive in the final minute of round nine. McCaskill enjoyed her best stretch of the fight, landing right hands upstairs and managing to score with her poking left jab. Cameron took the punches well, countering McCaskill with right hands.

McCaskill continued to heed the advice of trainer/manager/fiancé Rick Ramos to take it one round at a time. The American fought with poise and discipline which allowed her to be first on exchanges throughout round nine. Cameron was on the move, defending against McCaskill’s reaching jab and right hands.

Two-way action ensued in the final minute of the contest. It was the type of fight that McCaskill expected to force, though too late to avoid her first defeat in nearly five years. The two-division champion retains her undisputed welterweight crown but falls to 12-3 (5KOs) in her failed bid to become a two-time junior welterweight champ.

Cameron improves to 17-0 (8KOs) in becoming the fifth female boxer to currently claim undisputed champion, while making the fourth defense of at least one title dating back to her October 2020 WBC title win. She defended her WBC/IBF belts while claiming the WBA and WBO belts vacated by Kali Reis, whom Cameron expected to face after both won separate unified title fights last fall.

Reis outpointed Jessica Camara three weeks after Cameron defeated Mary McGee to defend her WBC title and win the IBF belt. Both bouts were part of a four-fighter tournament presented by Matchroom Boxing, though the final round was compromised due to Reis contending with lingering health issues.

Cameron acknowledged after the fight that she’s still open to next facing Reis if she’s ready to return in 2023.

Headlining the show, WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11KOs) defends against mandatory challenger and former WBO super middleweight titlist Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (44-0, 30KOs).

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox