WBA featherweight champion Jelena Mrdjenovich and Paola Torres stormed out of their corners from the opening bell and delivered the all-action fight they were promising leading up to the promotion.

The rounds were close, competitive and action-packed, cardio was impeccable, but neither appeared to definitively hurt one another in the paper-thin fight that featured unreal output.

The relentless pressure and pace took place exclusively in the center of the ring, and Mrdjenovich (41-10-2, 19 KO’s) did more than enough to score the victory and retain her title over Torres (12-5-1, 4 KO’s).

The judges scored the bout 97-93, 98-92, 96-94, all for Mrdjenovich as part of the Ring City USA undercard at the Wild Card Boxing Club that took place on NBC Sports Network in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Torres was game all night long, bouncing on her feet, staying busy and tattooing Mrdjenovich in the first few rounds, but Mrdjenovich proved to be the more polished boxer who showed her championship class and pedigree as the fight unfolded.

The momentum somewhat turned away from Mrdjenovich by the end of the fourth round, as she suffered a gash over her right cheekbone due to an accidental head butt.

Torres saw blood and turned the fifth into an all-out brawl, much like the previous four rounds. But Mrdjenovich fought cleaner with her counterpunching, specifically with crisp shots to the body and upstairs to the head.

The 31-year-old, come-forward Torres further tattered Mrdjenovich’s cut in the sixth and momentarily staggered her opponent as blood profusely dripped down her face.

By the ninth round, Mrdjenovich proved to have more pop in her punches, placing shots where she pleased. Torres looked taxed heading into her corner, and the tide ever so slightly appeared to finally turn.

Both fighters finished the tenth and final round just like they started the fight, throwing plenty of leather.

The 38-year-old Mrdjenovich was making her United States debut after fighting almost exclusively in Canada since turning pro in 2013. She’s not lost since 2015.

Torres did not look like a fighter who had a record of 2 wins and 3 losses and 1 No Contest in her last six fights.

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com