American lightweight champion Stephanie Han (11-0, 3 KOs) successfully defended her WBA world title on Saturday night, grinding out a unanimous decision over Colombia’s Paulina Ãngel (7-2-2, 3 KOs) at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. All three judges turned in identical tallies of 98-91.
Han had to dig herself out of an early hole after tasting the canvas in the opening stages. The defending champ came out aggressively, trying to overwhelm her opponent, but Ãngel answered with a sharp right hand to the chin that flipped the script and put Han down. From that moment, it was the Colombian pressing forward, while Han relied on poise, discipline, and ring IQ to keep the fight under control and avoid extended exchanges.
Through the first five rounds, Han found her rhythm at mid-range, landing cleanly while Ãngel struggled to cut the distance. A clash of heads in the fourth left Han with a cut, but instead of unraveling, she doubled down on her jab and began dictating the pace.
By the sixth, Han turned up the pressure, mixing straight shots upstairs with digging body hooks. Ãngel showed grit and toughness, but she couldn’t turn the tide. Han closed strong, boxing with movement and volume, sweeping the championship rounds to put the result beyond doubt.
The victory marked Han’s first successful title defense and further cemented her as one of the key players at 135 pounds.
