Denis Shafikov, left, suffered a loss to Rene Alvarado on Saturday night (Photo: Instagram)

By Chris Robinson

Moments ago, inside of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., Nicaragua’s Rene Alvarado (28-8, 19 KO’s) captured a big victory in scoring a ten-round split-decision over former world title challenger Denis Shafikov (38-4-1, 20 KO’s). After ten rounds of action, two judges favored Alvarado, 96-94 and 96-93, with the third favoring Shafikov, 95-94.

It was a bloody, fast-paced war of attrition, with the action starting fast and lasting until the final bell. What may have been the telling score of the match was Alvarado registering a knockdown in the fifth round, in a frame where Shafikov was doing well for himself.
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