LOS ANGELES – For Jonas Sultan, there were no excuses. The champion was the better fighter.
Sultan admitted being on the losing end of the historic title fight he had against Jerwin Ancajas, who retained his International Boxing Federation super-flyweight crown behind a dominant 12-round decision over the weekend in Fresno, California.
While there was no knockdown in the first fight in 93 years pitting two Filipinos for a major world championship, Ancajas was obviously head and shoulders above Sultan after winning the bout by a mile behind scores of 119-109, 119-109, 117-111.
The 26-year-old Sultan said he accepted his fate without resentment, aware he came short of carrying out what should have been done to dethrone Ancajas.
“Talo ako pero ginawa ko naman ang lahat,” said a more relaxed Sultan a day after the fight just before his team was about to leave for a four-hour drive to Los Angeles.
Sultan had his headset on and was in dark glasses to cover his eyes which bore the brunt of the brutal beating he went through by going 12 rounds against the favored champion.
The rising star of ALA boxing stable also disclosed veering away from the original fight plan of trainers Edmund and Edito Villamor to throw constant combinations against Ancajas.
“Nagkamali ako sa sarili ko, kasi hangad ko talaga ang maka-knockout,” said the timid challenger. “Hindi ko na sinunod yung instruction. I was hoping for a lucky punch, gusto ko siya tamaan ng solid.”
He was happy and satisfied though, for the way he and Ancajas performed before a crowd of about 4,000 at the Save Mart Center, although a chorus of jeers here and there would be heard from time to time especially when the two Filipino fighters wouldn’t engage each other during rounds.
“Si Jerwin maganda ang performance,” he said of the 26-year-old champion, who successfully retained his title for the fifth straight time.
“Masaya ako sa laban kasi maganda naman yung ipinakita namin.”
Sultan saw his record fall to 14-4 with 9 KOs, and earned $20,000 (around P1 million) as per California State Athletic Commission contracts.
He plans to save his prize purse for the future of his family, while he takes a breather from boxing after undergoing almost six months of training preparing for his first world title fight.
“Pahinga ko muna ang katawan ko kasi six months din akong nag training,” said Sultan, who will go home from his native Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte once he and his team return to the Philippines.
The camp of Sultan is bound to leave for Manila on Tuesday.