Boxing: Jonas Sultan hands Caraballo first loss in thriller

Filipino bantamweight Jonas Sultan recorded his third straight victory in thrilling fashion, outpointing the erstwhile unbeaten Carlos Caraballo of Puerto Rico in a 10-round war on Saturday at the Hulu Theater in New York (Sunday in Manila).

The 29-year-old Sultan floored Caraballo four times but needed to survive a knockdown of his own to earn a unanimous decision victory, with judges scoring the fight 94-93 across the board.

Sultan dropped Caraballo in the second and third rounds, but the Puerto Rican showed off his boxing skills to turn the momentum in his favor. A left hand from Caraballo momentarily dropped Sultan to the canvas, and Caraballo went on to dominate the Filipino in the fourth round.

But Sultan wasn't done, as he landed a flush right hand in the sixth that sent Caraballo sprawling again. The Puerto Rican, though wobbly, survived the count, and brought the fight to Sultan in the next two rounds before the Filipino boxer again floored him in the ninth.

This time, it was a left hook that sent Caraballo to the canvas, though the Puerto Rican showed great grit and determination in getting up and surviving until the final bell.

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Sultan improved to 18-5 (11 KOs) in his career, claiming a third straight win after beating Salatiel Amit in August 2019 and Sharone Carter in August of this year. His resume also includes a victory over reigning IBF junior bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero.

Meanwhile, it was the first loss for Caraballo, who entered with a 14-0 record -- all of which came by knockout.