Rey Vargas vs. Nick Ball: The Brit's WBC featherweight challenge ends with a split decision draw

• By Kal Sajad
• ` Sport at the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh

25 minutes ago

image source, Getty Images

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Nick Ball scored two knockdowns in 12 rounds

Nick Ball failed in his bid to become Britain's newest world champion after his WBC title fight against Rey Vargas ended in a draw.

The 27-year-old Liverpool man controversially floored the champion in the eighth round after appearing to shove the Mexican before landing a left hook.

Vargas hit the canvas again in the 11th minute, thanks to a legitimate right hand.

The judges scored it 116-119 for Ball, 114-112 for Vargas and 113-113, with the fight ending in a split decision draw.

“I had two defeats and kept the pressure on throughout the fight. I was the attacker and thought I had done enough to win it,” Ball told Dazn.

“It's a little frustrating, but that's how it is. I can’t get mad about it.”

Ball, who maintains his unbeaten record, and promoter Frank Warren felt they should have been awarded the decision and called for a rematch.

Ball mixes it up to test Vargas

The wiry and experienced Vargas, 33, got off to a strong start – establishing his jab and keeping the fight at bay.

With a height of only 1.70 m, Ball left his opponent 15 cm tall and had a considerable reach advantage.

Vargas countered with his body as Ball, who made his Liverpool nightclub debut in 2017, lunged forward with his attacks and tried to close the distance.

The challenger was frustrated as Vargas found success with left hooks to the body and won the early rounds. In the third round, Ball was warned by the referee for bodyslamming his opponent to the canvas.

Vargas varied his attack in the fourth round with a combination of head and body. Running out of ideas, Ball switched to a southpaw stance for a moment to find something else.

The height difference didn't make for the most exciting contest, but Ball began to turn the tide by turning the ball ugly, smothering Vargas' attack and landing on the inside.

Chants of “Wrecking Ball” from a small group of fans spurred the fighter on as he pushed Vargas to the ropes and landed a telegraphed right punch in the sixth round.

In a terrific seventh round, he rocked Vargas with an ugly overhand right. As Vargas backed away, Ball charged forward, knowing he could hurt Vargas.

Then came the contentious and chaotic fallout. With the pair tangled on the inside, Ball got the better of Vargas, shoving him before landing a left hook.

Vargas protested to the referee as the round came to an end. He recovered well and landed a fierce left hook on the 10th floor.

As the fight moved into the championship rounds, Ball chased a tired-looking Vargas around the ring. Ball landed with a solid punch to the right to drop him a second time, which this time was a legitimate knockdown.

The general feeling around ringside was that Ball had done enough with the two knockdowns to become Britain's first new world champion since Savannah Marshall and Natasha Jonas' double world titles in July 2023.

“Nick Ball should be world champion tonight and undoubtedly will be in the near future,” said his promoter Warren.