CHINA’S first World Boxing Association (WBA) champion Xu Can succeeded in defending his WBA featherweight title after defeating U.S. challenger Manny Robles III on Saturday night in California, the United States.

The 25-year-old Xu impressed the audience at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California, by scoring an entertaining 12 round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Robles.

Xu, China’s third world champion in history, launched attacks on Robles from the very beginning with steady moves and sharp strikes. Xu started to take control of the match in the fifth round. In the end, he outworked Robles and retained his title in front of the cheering audience,.

Xu won with scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110 over Robles, who suffered his first loss in a professional fight.

“I told everyone I would bring this golden belt home. Now I made it,” Xu said after Saturday’s win.

Xu, China’s youngest world professional boxing champion, made his debut in November of 2013.

In January this year, Xu defeated former champion Jesus Rojas of Puerto Rico by unanimous decision in Houston of the United States to claim his first ever career title, becoming China’s first WBA champion.

After that, he was awarded as the first Chinese “five star” boxer by BoxRec website. In May, Xu succeeded in defending his WBA featherweight title in his hometown Fuzhou in China’s Jiangxi Province, after defeating challenger Shun Kubo of Japan by technical knockout.

Xu’s last two important outings, over Jesus Rojas and Shun Kubo, have seen him on a good roll and looking like a mature young fighter hitting a groove. He has long been regarded as one of China’s most talented boxers, after former WBO flyweight champion Zou Shiming and ex-WBC minimum weight champion Xiong Chaozhong.(Xinhua)