Abraham Perez Claims Interim WBA Flyweight Title with Narrow Victory Over Jonathan Gonzalez

Abraham Perez edged out Jonathan Gonzalez in a tightly contested match to secure the interim WBA flyweight championship on Saturday night in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The bout, part of a Salita Promotions event, concluded with a split decision, as two judges scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Perez, while the third judge awarded the same score to Gonzalez.

Both competitors expressed their belief that they deserved the victory. Perez, who improved his record to 15-0 with 7 knockouts, commented, “I stayed busy and had the better angles on my shots. I took opportunities when I had them and stayed mobile, tried to stay unpredictable. I still don’t feel like that was my best. I need to stay sharp with my punches. It’s been a rough journey, but it didn’t end.”

On the other hand, Gonzalez, now 29-5-1 with 14 knockouts, voiced his disappointment, stating, “I won the fight, I landed the better shots. He throws a lot of punches, but I thought I landed the better shots. I’m disappointed and surprised, but it’s part of the sport.” The 35-year-old fighter has shown resilience in his career, recently bouncing back with a win over Yankiel Rivera after a setback against Anthony Olascuaga earlier this year.

Perez expressed his readiness to challenge full WBA champion Ricardo Sandoval, saying he is willing to wait for the opportunity. Sandoval was scheduled to face Galal Yafai this month, but Yafai's injury has left the future of that matchup uncertain. Sandoval currently holds both the WBA and WBC titles, having claimed the latter from Kenshiro Teraji in July 2025.

In other bouts on the Grand Rapids undercard, lightweight prospect Joshua Pagan remained undefeated at 16-0 with a decisive win over Rodolfo Bustamante, while middleweight Troy Isley also secured victory, moving to 16-0 with a fifth-round stoppage of Leonardo Di Stefano. This marked Isley’s first fight since ending his relationship with Top Rank, showcasing his continued growth as a professional fighter.