Adrien Broner escaped with a controversial victory but he certainly didn’t look like a fighter who could replicate his early success.

Broner got off to a slow start against Jovanie Santiago but rallied in the second half of the fight to win a unanimous decision in a 12-round welterweight fight Saturday at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., his first outing in more than two years.

Broner (34-4-1, 24 KOs) got the decision even though the obscure Santiago (14-1-1, 10 KOs) outlanded him in every round and landed more than twice as many punches overall, according to CompuBox.

“That was cool,” said Broner, who had his hand raised for the first time since 2017. “I want to go home and really look at my fight. I haven’t fought in two years. But I felt good, I felt like I won the fight. I felt like I beat him with the jab, honestly.

“But it felt good to get my hand raised.”

Broner did have success with his jab but one could argue that he didn’t throw enough power shots to control the fight, particularly in the first six or seven rounds.

Through Round 7, Broner landed a total of 44 punches. That’s 6.3 per round. Santiago connected on 98 over the same stretch.

The former four-division titleholder began to find his grove in the seventh round, picked up his pace and had an effective series of rounds. Two judges gave Broner Rounds 7-11 while third gave him Rounds 7-10. (Boxing Junkie had Broner winning Round 8-11.)

All three judges gave the final round to Santiago, who outlanded Broner 207-98 overall.

The fight seemed to be close given Santiago’s early dominance and Broner’s rally. However, the judges didn’t see it that way. Peter Hary had 117-110, nine rounds to three in favor Broner. Tom Carusone and Glen Feldman had it 116-111 and 115-112, respectively.

Boxing Junkie scored it 114-113 – seven rounds to five – for Santiago, who lost a point in the fourth round for punching after the bell.

Santiago evidently doesn’t believe a victory was stolen from him.

“No, the decision doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “Broner did a nice job in there. The decision could have gone both ways. He fought a great fight. We were in it to win this fight, and he got the decision.

“I think boxing fans know who I am now, but in this fight I should have applied more pressure, and the fight would have gone my way.”

Broner, who reportedly lost 35 pounds, and Santiago had been set to fight at 140 pounds but agreed to adjust the limit to 147 in the 11^th hour. Broner said he plans to fight at 140 going forward.

Three of his four losses have come at 147, including a wide decision against Manny Pacquiao in January 2019.

“I knew he was going to be tough because he’s 14-0,” Broner said of his Puerto Rican opponent. “And anybody with that ‘0’ wants to keep that ‘0’ so they’re going to fight like a bum fighting for a sandwich. I came in, and I got the job done.

“There is a lot of work out there at 140. Right now we’re going to the drawing board with [manager] Al Haymon to see what’s best for me. But I’m definitely going back to the gym and I’m looking forward to getting one of those titles this year at 140.”

[lawrence-related id=17962,17959]

Adrien Broner escaped with a controversial victory but he certainly didn’t look like a fighter who could replicate his early success.

Broner got off to a slow start against Jovanie Santiago but rallied in the second half of the fight to win a unanimous decision in a 12-round welterweight fight Saturday at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., his first outing in more than two years.

Broner (34-4-1, 24 KOs) got the decision even though the obscure Santiago (14-1-1, 10 KOs) outlanded him in every round and landed more than twice as many punches overall, according to CompuBox.

“That was cool,” said Broner, who had his hand raised for the first time since 2017. “I want to go home and really look at my fight. I haven’t fought in two years. But I felt good, I felt like I won the fight. I felt like I beat him with the jab, honestly.

“But it felt good to get my hand raised.”

Broner did have success with his jab but one could argue that he didn’t throw enough power shots to control the fight, particularly in the first six or seven rounds.

Through Round 7, Broner landed a total of 44 punches. That’s 6.3 per round. Santiago connected on 98 over the same stretch.

The former four-division titleholder began to find his grove in the seventh round, picked up his pace and had an effective series of rounds. Two judges gave Broner Rounds 7-11 while third gave him Rounds 7-10. (Boxing Junkie had Broner winning Round 8-11.)

All three judges gave the final round to Santiago, who outlanded Broner 207-98 overall.

The fight seemed to be close given Santiago’s early dominance and Broner’s rally. However, the judges didn’t see it that way. Peter Hary had 117-110, nine rounds to three in favor Broner. Tom Carusone and Glen Feldman had it 116-111 and 115-112, respectively.

Boxing Junkie scored it 114-113 – seven rounds to five – for Santiago, who lost a point in the fourth round for punching after the bell.

Santiago evidently doesn’t believe a victory was stolen from him.

“No, the decision doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “Broner did a nice job in there. The decision could have gone both ways. He fought a great fight. We were in it to win this fight, and he got the decision.

“I think boxing fans know who I am now, but in this fight I should have applied more pressure, and the fight would have gone my way.”

Broner, who reportedly lost 35 pounds, and Santiago had been set to fight at 140 pounds but agreed to adjust the limit to 147 in the 11^th hour. Broner said he plans to fight at 140 going forward.

Three of his four losses have come at 147, including a wide decision against Manny Pacquiao in January 2019.

“I knew he was going to be tough because he’s 14-0,” Broner said of his Puerto Rican opponent. “And anybody with that ‘0’ wants to keep that ‘0’ so they’re going to fight like a bum fighting for a sandwich. I came in, and I got the job done.

“There is a lot of work out there at 140. Right now we’re going to the drawing board with [manager] Al Haymon to see what’s best for me. But I’m definitely going back to the gym and I’m looking forward to getting one of those titles this year at 140.”

[lawrence-related id=17962,17959]

Adrien Broner didn’t have to make 140 pounds after all.

Broner and Jovanie Santiago, who will do battle Saturday at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. (Showtime), agreed in the 11^th hour to adjust the weight limit for their fight to 147 pounds.

Both fighters made that weight Friday, Broner coming in at 146 and Santiago at 145.25.

Broner (33-4-1, 24) will be fighting for the first time since he lost a wide decision to Manny Pacquiao in January of 2019, meaning he will have been out of the ring for more than two years.

He has said he has renewed focus on his boxing career and reportedly lost 35 pounds.

This will be his third consecutive fight at welterweight. He last made 140 when he lost a one-sided decision to Mikey Garcia in July 2017. He outpointed Adrian Granados at 147 fives months earlier, which was his last victory.

Broner, 2-3-1 as a welterweight, presumably will settle into the junior welterweight division going forward.

Santiago (14-0-1, 10 KOs) fought as a welterweight early in his career but the 31-year-old Puerto Rican has been a full-fledged 140-pounder since 2015.

In undercard fights, Dominic Breazeale (20-2, 18 KOs) and Otto Wallin (21-1, 14 KOs) weighed 261.25 and 240.5, respectively, for their scheduled 12-round heavyweight fight.

And, in a 12-round junior welterweight bout, Robert Easter (22-1-1, 14 KOs) and Ryan Martin (24-1, 14 KOs) weighed 139.75 and 139.5.

[lawrence-related id=17913,17909,17869,17652]

Adrien Broner didn’t have to make 140 pounds after all.

Broner and Jovanie Santiago, who will do battle Saturday at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. (Showtime), agreed in the 11^th hour to adjust the weight limit for their fight to 147 pounds.

Both fighters made that weight Friday, Broner coming in at 146 and Santiago at 145.25.

Broner (33-4-1, 24) will be fighting for the first time since he lost a wide decision to Manny Pacquiao in January of 2019, meaning he will have been out of the ring for more than two years.

He has said he has renewed focus on his boxing career and reportedly lost 35 pounds.

This will be his third consecutive fight at welterweight. He last made 140 when he lost a one-sided decision to Mikey Garcia in July 2017. He outpointed Adrian Granados at 147 fives months earlier, which was his last victory.

Broner, 2-3-1 as a welterweight, presumably will settle into the junior welterweight division going forward.

Santiago (14-0-1, 10 KOs) fought as a welterweight early in his career but the 31-year-old Puerto Rican has been a full-fledged 140-pounder since 2015.

In undercard fights, Dominic Breazeale (20-2, 18 KOs) and Otto Wallin (21-1, 14 KOs) weighed 261.25 and 240.5, respectively, for their scheduled 12-round heavyweight fight.

And, in a 12-round junior welterweight bout, Robert Easter (22-1-1, 14 KOs) and Ryan Martin (24-1, 14 KOs) weighed 139.75 and 139.5.

[lawrence-related id=17913,17909,17869,17652]

One word to describe Adrien Broner might be unconventional. If you ask him a typical question — whatever the subject — chances are you’ll receive an atypical answer.

Broner and unbeaten Jovanie Santiago of Puerto Rico on Thursday took part in a virtual news conference to promote their 140-pound fight Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., which will be televised on Showtime.

A.B. fielded typical questions from host Brian Custer on stage and then reporters via Zoom. Some of his answers were classic A.B.

One journalist, referring to what seems to be Broner’s renewed focus on boxing after a two-year hiatus from the sport, asked him: “What did you learn?”

Broner responded: “I learned I could stop having sex. That’s one of my biggest problems. I like to party, I like f—ing. I had to cut it all out, the partying, the drinking, and just get serious with my career to become that elite fighter, to take back over the sport.”

Custer asked him what he wants to accomplish going forward.

“Right now I’m just trying to beat COVID. … I want everything to open up, I want people to come back to fights,” he said. “It’s started to feel like a game. This situation (people separated at the news conference) is some b—s—. This ain’t real, having to stay apart, staying out of your face.

“I like to put my hands on people at pressers. This don’t feel real. Once the bell rings everything will go away and we’ll get straight back to business.”

Custer also asked him about a comment made by Santiago that seemed to imply that Broner is nothing special.

“Hey man, at the end of the day, he’s here because of me, you’re here because of me, the whole cast is here because of me. That’s special,” he said. “So Saturday night the only thing that’s going to be special is the ass whooping I’m going to give out. He’ll know then. … He ain’t going to be talking like that after Saturday.”

Broner (33-4-1, 24 KOs) also was open about his life and goals in a more serious sense.

Custer asked him what made him decide to come back after his extended layoff. And a journalist later asked him why he “retired,” a word he used when he stepped away after his one-sided loss to Manny Pacquiao in January 2019.

“I went through a lot of things, honestly,” he said. “The way I live my life, I went through a lot. One day I just woke up and said, ‘I’m done. I gotta get my s— together in order to change, I have to make a change or I’m going to get caught up in doing the same thing.’ … It’s been a long road to get where I am today and I’m here.”

He then added: “I don’t know how long you’ve worked without taking a break. For me it was from 6 years old to, what, 30? I never took a break from boxing. I thought, ‘You know what? I need a break.’ That’s what I did. Then I was missing boxing and got back into it. And I’ll be back to it Saturday night.”

Broner also said repeatedly that Santiago, an unbeaten Puerto Rican, is no pusher and that his focus is squarely on Saturday night. He also made it clear how determine he is to succeed, revealing fire we haven’t seen in some time.

“I’m ready to put it all on the line,” he said. “I don’t know how he feels [but] I’m willing to die in there, I’m willing to put my life on the line, I’m willing to give it all until I ain’t got s—left.

“I don’t know how far he’s willing to go. I’m willing to say, ‘F— everything. I’m ready to put everything on line.”

Santiago responded through a translator: “I’m ready to die on the line, like they say in Puerto Rico.”

And, while Broner didn’t want to look past Santiago, the 31-year-old former four-division titleholder left no doubt that he’s thinking big in terms of his immediate future. He wants to regain the status he lost long ago.

“I just feel like I’m going to be a world champion again … and again and again and again … until I’m really don with boxing. Yes, I took two years off. I retired to let my body heal and rest. I feel I have what it takes to win more championships in different weight classes so that’s what I’m going to do.”

Then, evidently speaking directly at and near his weight: “Listen, if y’all got a belt, just hold onto it. … That s— is going to be mine. I’m coming to sweep it all up.”

[lawrence-related id=17869,17652]

Adrien Broner returns from a two-year hiatus to face Puerto Rican Jovanie Santiago on Saturday in Uncasville, Conn., on Showtime.

ADRIEN BRONER (33-4-1, 24 KOs)
VS. JOVANIE SANTIAGO (14-0-1, 10 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM9zTdzI98k

• Date: Saturday, Feb. 20
• Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in the show)
• Where: Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn.
• TV/Stream: Showtime
• Division: Junior welterweight (140 pounds)
• At stake: No titles
• Pound-for-pound ranking: None
• Odds: Broner 6-1 favorite
• Also on the card: Robert Easter vs. Ryan Martin, junior welterweights; Otto Wallin vs. Dominic Breazeale, heavyweights
• Prediction: Broner KO 7
• Background: Broner garners the attention of a elite athlete but the truth is he hasn’t had success for years. The four-division titleholder hasn’t won a fight since he narrowly outpointed Adrian Granados in February 2017, four years ago. He is 0-2-1 since then, although the losses came against Mikey Garcia (140 pounds) in July 2017 and Manny Pacquiao (147) in January of 2019. He drew with Jessie Vargas between those setbacks. The good news for Broner is that he’s only 31. And he will be fighting Santiago at 140 pounds, at which he won’t be giving away size and strength advantages. Broner will have been out of the ring since the Pacquiao fight, which was more than two years ago. Santiago is a 31-year-old unknown from Puerto Rico. He has a gaudy record but has faced no one of note. His highest-profile victory might’ve been a decision over a faded DeMarcus Corley in 2017. He has won 12 consecutive fights since a draw in his third outing. On the undercard, heavyweights Otto Wallin and Dominic Breazeale hope to position themselves for a title shot. Wallin (21-1, 14 KOs) bounced back from his loss to titleholder Tyson Fury by stopping Travis Kauffman in August. Breazeale (20-2, 18 KOs) is coming off a first-round knockout loss against then-champion Deontay Wilder in May 2019. The Los Angeles-area fighter  has failed in two attempts to win a major title.

[lawrence-related id=17652]

Adrien Broner returns from a two-year hiatus to face Puerto Rican Jovanie Santiago on Saturday in Uncasville, Conn., on Showtime.

ADRIEN BRONER (33-4-1, 24 KOs)
VS. JOVANIE SANTIAGO (14-0-1, 10 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM9zTdzI98k

• Date: Saturday, Feb. 20
• Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in the show)
• Where: Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn.
• TV/Stream: Showtime
• Division: Junior welterweight (140 pounds)
• At stake: No titles
• Pound-for-pound ranking: None
• Odds: Broner 6-1 favorite
• Also on the card: Robert Easter vs. Ryan Martin, junior welterweights; Otto Wallin vs. Dominic Breazeale, heavyweights
• Prediction: Broner KO 7
• Background: Broner garners the attention of a elite athlete but the truth is he hasn’t had success for years. The four-division titleholder hasn’t won a fight since he narrowly outpointed Adrian Granados in February 2017, four years ago. He is 0-2-1 since then, although the losses came against Mikey Garcia (140 pounds) in July 2017 and Manny Pacquiao (147) in January of 2019. He drew with Jessie Vargas between those setbacks. The good news for Broner is that he’s only 31. And he will be fighting Santiago at 140 pounds, at which he won’t be giving away size and strength advantages. Broner will have been out of the ring since the Pacquiao fight, which was more than two years ago. Santiago is a 31-year-old unknown from Puerto Rico. He has a gaudy record but has faced no one of note. His highest-profile victory might’ve been a decision over a faded DeMarcus Corley in 2017. He has won 12 consecutive fights since a draw in his third outing. On the undercard, heavyweights Otto Wallin and Dominic Breazeale hope to position themselves for a title shot. Wallin (21-1, 14 KOs) bounced back from his loss to titleholder Tyson Fury by stopping Travis Kauffman in August. Breazeale (20-2, 18 KOs) is coming off a first-round knockout loss against then-champion Deontay Wilder in May 2019. The Los Angeles-area fighter  has failed in two attempts to win a major title.

[lawrence-related id=17652]