By Rick Reeno

MGM Grand, Las Vegas - Coming off a controversial decision loss to champion Danny Garcia earlier this year, Mauricio Herrera (21-4, 7KOs) captured the WBA interim-junior welterweight championship with a twelve round majority decision over Johan Perez (19-2-1, 13KOs). The scores were 114-114, 116-112, 116-112.

Herrera was outworking and outlanding Perez, who stayed on the move and allowed Herrera to comes forward for the first five rounds. In the sixth, Perez final started coming forward and making it a war on the inside. From that point on, close exchanges became the norm and Herrera often outlanded Perez.

Perez was never able to get a big rally going. Herrera's iron chin was able to easily absorb every significant punch that landed, and he always fired back with a series of punches to disrupt Perez's rhythm.