Patrick Teixeira has become a significant player in the junior middleweight division.
The Brazilian put Carlos Adames down in a pivotal seventh round and went on to win a brutal, bloody fight by a close unanimous decision on the Oscar Valdez-Adam Lopez card Saturday in Las Vegas.
The scores were 114-113, 114-113 and 116-111, meaning the point Adames lost as a result of the knockdown decided the fight.
Teixeira, who survived two cuts and a determined opponent, won an “interim” title.
“I am very happy to bring a world title back to Brazil,” said Teixeira (31-1, 22 knockouts). “I want to make boxing bigger in Brazil. Soccer is our biggest sport, and this is a great moment for boxing in my country. It was tough with the cuts, but I was able to get through it because of my experience.
“It was a little harder, but my corner did an excellent job on the cuts. I felt like I needed to win the last round. It was a close fight. Every point was crucial, and I won the final round to win the fight.”
Adames (18-4, 14 KOs) was saved by the bell after going down for the first time in his career in the seventh round but recovered sufficiently in the eighth to keep the fight competitive.
Teixeira, who has won five consecutive fights, could be upgraded to full titleholder because champion Jaime Munguia is expected to vacate.