In a night thick with tension that kept the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on edge, hometown star Xander Zayas fulfilled the dream of an entire nation by capturing the WBA super welterweight world title. Glory, however, came at a steep price. Zayas was pushed to his limits before edging Germany’s Abass Baraou via split decision in a grueling contest already worthy of early consideration for Fight of the Year.

From the opening bell, it was evident this would be anything but an easy assignment for the Puerto Rican. Baraou, true to his European pressure-fighting style, came forward relentlessly, forcing Zayas to operate off the back foot for much of the fight’s first half.

Zayas (21-0, 12 KOs) showcased the technical brilliance that has long marked him as a prodigy. He relied on speed and sharp, surgical combinations to momentarily halt Baraou’s advance, yet the German’s durability proved extraordinary. By the eighth round, both fighters were visibly marked by the intensity of the battle.

The closing stages turned into a razor-thin affair. Baraou controlled the punch volume in rounds nine and eleven, while Zayas landed the cleaner, more damaging shots in the tenth and during a dramatic twelfth round that saw both men stand their ground and trade heavy artillery at center ring until the final bell.

Uncertainty gripped the arena as the scorecards were read: 116–112 for Zayas, 116–112 for Zayas, and 116–112 for Baraou. When the split decision was announced, the eruption from the packed Puerto Rican crowd confirmed the crowning of a new ruler at 154 pounds.

With this victory, Xander Zayas joins the exclusive ranks of WBA world champions and positions himself among the division’s elite names. Winning by such a narrow margin only adds to the mystique of his rise, proving that he can endure—and prevail—under the intense pressure of the sport’s highest level.