Behind a late surge, O'Shaquie Foster edged Raymond Ford by majority decision to retain his WBC junior lightweight title at Fertitta Center on the University of Houston campus Saturday.
Shortly after the hard-fought victory, Foster (25-3, 12 KOs) was in a war of words with WBO junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson, who trains with Ford.
A potential bout against Stevenson might not be next for Foster, but he can take solace in putting a stamp on his rivalry with Ford. Foster used his experience and timing to pull away in the late rounds, winning with scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 114-114.
"I'm one of the smartest people in this ring, man," said Foster, who lives in nearby Orange, Texas. "And all I needed to do was adjust. I knew what he was going to come in with and wanted to do. I took everything away from him. I knew what his strength was, and my plan was to take it away from him."
It was a nip-and-tuck fight early as the rivals battled it out. Foster tossed Ford through the ropes and out of the ring during the opening round, with Ford hitting the floor. Fortunately, Ford didn't suffer any injuries from the fall and continued to fight.
Ford (18-2-1, 8 KOs) was aggressive early but couldn't poke through Foster's defense. Ford landed shots to Foster's body, as the champion sought to respond with aggression. The action remained close, with both having their moments until Foster began to build momentum in the second half of the fight with his combination punching and distance management.
Foster, 32, was exceptional in the seventh and eighth rounds, finding his rhythm and landing the cleaner shots. Ford felt the fight slipping away and attempted to power through in the ninth round, but the champion seized control. Foster repeatedly landed his right hand, bloodying Ford's nose in Round 11, and carried that momentum into the final round with excellent head and body work.
Foster outlanded Ford 106-99 to earn his third consecutive win after a controversial loss to Robson Conceicao in 2024. He has his sights set on future challenges.
"Skill for skill, I'm the best," Foster said. "If I can't get Shakur next, hopefully me and [Emanuel] Navarrete can do it, but y'all know who I want."
