With a split decision Colombian Liliana Palmera successfully defended for the first time, her interim bantamweight title of the World Boxing Association on Friday night at the Coliseum Mario Leon Cereté, Colombia.

The program main fight was the title bout between the champion Liliana Palmera and challenger Alys “La China” Sánchez held as tribute to former champion Miguel “Happy” Lora, and was attended by the Mayor of Cereté, Francisco Padilla, and WBA vice president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza.

Palmera and former champion Sanchez, fought for ten rounds of many give and take between the two boxers, and with a couple of slips as consequences from the Venezuelan challenger.

“The Tigresa” Palmera always attacked her opponent who had no choice but to move in the ring and wait for the counterattack. However, she could not decipher the champion.

Judges Cesar Ramos (PUR) and Héctor Afú (PAN) score the fight for Palmera, 99-91, 97-93 respectively, while Víctor Simmons score it 96-94 for Sánchez.

When the fight ended, the champion Palmera told the public at the coliseum of Cerete: “I promised the title would stay at home and from the beginning I wanted to prove that it has to stay here”.

Now, Palmera has 24-11-3, 15 KO’s and Sánchez 13-3-1, 4 KO’s.