Yonnhy Pérez is a professional boxer who resides in Santa Fe Springs, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. He is the former IBF

International Boxing Federation

The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...

 Bantamweight

Bantamweight

Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...

 champion. Ring Magazine currently rates Pérez at number seven in the bantamweight division.

Professional career

Although born in Colombia, Pérez has fought all but one of his professional fights in the United States. He made his debut on July 30, 2005 in Tucson, Arizona

Arizona

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

 at the age of 26. Pérez made a winning start to his career, knocking out

Knockout

A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...

 Steve Lozoya in the first round.

Pérez faced his biggest challenge on 29 May, 2009, when he travelled to Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 to fight Silence Mabuza

Silence Mabuza

Silence Mabuza is a professional boxer in the bantamweight division, and as of Jan. 6, 2008, is a former two time holder of the International Boxing Organization's world Bantamweight title....

 in an IBF Bantamweight title eliminator. Mabuza, a native of Johannesburg, was a former world champion and had only lost to the renowned Mexican

Mexican people

Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....

 Rafael Marquez

Rafael Márquez (boxer)

Rafael Márquez Méndez is a Mexican professional boxer. He is a former world champion at the IBF / IBO Bantamweight and WBC Super Bantamweight divisions....

. Despite trailing on all three scorecards, Pérez was able to knock Mabuza out in the final round.

Bantamweight champion

In his first world title fight Pérez successfully challenged the IBF champion, Joseph Agbeko

Joseph Agbeko

Joseph Agbeko is a professional boxer with a record of 28-2 . The Ring Magazine currently rates Agbeko at number three in the bantamweight division.-Professional career:...

 from Ghana

Ghana

Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

. Agbeko, who in his previous fight defeated Vic Darchinyan

Vic Darchinyan

Vakhtang "Vic" Darchinyan is an Armenian professional boxer discovered by HyeFighters. He is a three-division world champion, having won eight titles in three different weight classes. He is a former IBF Flyweight World Champion and a former Undisputed WBA, WBC & IBF Super Flyweight World...

, suffered a knockdown (a result of an unintentional headbutt) in the tenth round en route to losing his title to Pérez via a unanimous decision.

On May 22, 2010, Pérez, defending his IBF title for the first time, fought to a majority draw against the unbeaten Mexican Abner Mares

Abner Mares

Abner Mares Martínez is an undefeated Mexican professional boxer in the Bantamweight division. Abner medaled repeatedly in international amateur tournaments for Mexico. Mares grew up in the city of Hawaiian Gardens, California.-Amateur career:As an amateur, Mares compiled a record of 112-8 with 84...

. One judge scored the bout 115-113 in favor of Mares while the other two scored it 114-114 even, resulting in Pérez retaining his title. After the fight both boxers claimed that the decision should have gone their way and have both expressed interest in a rematch.

Perez vs. Agbeko II

Rather than an immediate rematch with Mares, Perez will be facing Joseph Agbeko for the second time in the first round of Showtime's upcoming bantamweight tournament while Mares faces Vic Darchinyan

Vic Darchinyan

Vakhtang "Vic" Darchinyan is an Armenian professional boxer discovered by HyeFighters. He is a three-division world champion, having won eight titles in three different weight classes. He is a former IBF Flyweight World Champion and a former Undisputed WBA, WBC & IBF Super Flyweight World...

 live from Guanajuato, Mexico on December 11. The winners of both fights will face each other sometime in early 2011.

Professional record

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="8"|20 Wins (14 Knockouts), 2 Defeats, 1 Draw
|- style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;"
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Result
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Record
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Opponent
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Type
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Rd., Time
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Date
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Location
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Notes
|- align=center
|Loss
|20-2-1
|align=left| Armenia Vic Darchinyan

Vic Darchinyan

Vakhtang "Vic" Darchinyan is an Armenian professional boxer discovered by HyeFighters. He is a three-division world champion, having won eight titles in three different weight classes. He is a former IBF Flyweight World Champion and a former Undisputed WBA, WBC & IBF Super Flyweight World...

|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Loss
|20-1-1
|align=left| Ghana Joseph Agbeko

Joseph Agbeko

Joseph Agbeko is a professional boxer with a record of 28-2 . The Ring Magazine currently rates Agbeko at number three in the bantamweight division.-Professional career:...

|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|style="background:#abcdef;"|Draw
|20-0-1
|align=left| Mexico Abner Mares

Abner Mares

Abner Mares Martínez is an undefeated Mexican professional boxer in the Bantamweight division. Abner medaled repeatedly in international amateur tournaments for Mexico. Mares grew up in the city of Hawaiian Gardens, California.-Amateur career:As an amateur, Mares compiled a record of 112-8 with 84...

|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|20–0
|align=left| Ghana Joseph Agbeko

Joseph Agbeko

Joseph Agbeko is a professional boxer with a record of 28-2 . The Ring Magazine currently rates Agbeko at number three in the bantamweight division.-Professional career:...

|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|19–0
|align=left| South Africa Silence Mabuza

Silence Mabuza

Silence Mabuza is a professional boxer in the bantamweight division, and as of Jan. 6, 2008, is a former two time holder of the International Boxing Organization's world Bantamweight title....

|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|18–0
|align=left| United States David Martinez
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|17–0
|align=left| Mexico Oscar Andrade
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|16–0
|align=left| Mexico Manuel Sarabia
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|15–0
|align=left| Mexico Alex Becerra
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|14–0
|align=left| Russia Alexander Fedorov
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|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|13–0
|align=left| Colombia Antonio Maria Cochero Diaz
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|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|12–0
|align=left| Puerto Rico José Laureano

José Laureano

José Laureano is a retired professional boxer from Puerto Rico. As an amateur, he represented his native country in the light flyweight division , winning a silver medal at the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games in Ponce, Puerto Rico...

|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|11–0
|align=left| Mexico Samuel Lopez
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|10–0
|align=left| Mexico Oscar Andrade
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|9–0
|align=left| Puerto Rico Luis Agosto
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|8–0
|align=left| Mexico Arturo Bracamontes
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|7–0
|align=left| Mexico Arturo Bracamontes
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|6–0
|align=left| United States Larry Olvera
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|5–0
|align=left| Mexico Israel Navarrete
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|4–0
|align=left| Mexico Daniel Quevedo
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|3–0
|align=left| Dominican Republic Edison Morillo
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|2–0
|align=left| United States Leshaun Blair
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|1–0
|align=left| United States Steve Lozoya
|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|

External links