Jaime Munguía (47-2, 35 KOs) kept his WBA super middleweight belt, but Nikita Zon made him look vulnerable in a unanimous decision victory that was much harder than the scores indicated. The Russian’s power repeatedly disrupted Munguía, most dramatically in a sixth round that nearly wrecked the champion’s night.

The judges scored it 117-111, 116-112 and 117-111. Munguía’s combinations and greater activity gave him a case for winning, although those margins did little justice to the danger Zon (12-1-1, 10 KOs) created during twelve competitive rounds.

Zon was making his first appearance over the championship distance against an opponent with far more experience. Yet he found openings in Munguía’s defense often enough to turn an expected showcase into an uncomfortable struggle. The champion could put punches together, but too frequently left himself available for hard replies.

Round six exposed the cost. Zon hurt Munguía badly and threatened a stoppage, forcing the Mexican to survive before he could regain the initiative. Munguía recovered and resumed his offensive work, showing determination without fixing the defensive faults that had put him in trouble.

The referee’s decisions also helped him. Two apparent knockdown sequences went without counts, while a clear rabbit punch from Munguía brought no point deduction. Those incidents deserved better handling in a fight where individual scoring decisions mattered more than the final totals suggested.

Munguía’s output ultimately carried him through, but this was a poor performance against a challenger who had never faced comparable opposition. Zon’s relative inexperience should have made the champion’s greater variety and seasoning decisive; instead, his power remained a threat.

After the Bruno Surace knockout loss, another damaging scare is difficult to dismiss. Munguía still takes too many clean punches while attacking, and Zon demonstrated how quickly that can erase the comfort provided by a busy round. The belt stayed with Munguía, but the performance gave stronger punchers at 168 pounds plenty to study.