Ricardo “El Científico” Nunez won the World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedelatin Lightweight belt by defeating Dominican Alfredo Santiago with a ninth-round KO on Friday night at Los Andes Mall in Panama City.

Nunez stripped Santiago of his belt with a dominant performance that ended with a knockdown near the end of the bout. The Panamanian brought out his class to win the regional title that was held by the Dominican.

Nunez and Santiago had something in common for this fight, they were both coming from defeats against high-caliber opponents. The former had just been knocked out by Gervonta Davis in his last fight, while the latter lost to Devin Haney in his penultimate fight.

However, “El Científico” had a better night and got a win that will help him get back on track for another title shot in the mid-term. This win leaves him with a record of 22 wins, 3 losses, and 20 KOs, while Santiago’s record is now 13 wins, 2 losses, and 5 KOs.