(OCT 18) Nadya Hokmi captured her second World Boxing Federation (WBF) world title on Thursday night in Sarcelles, France, when she won a well-fought ten-round majority decision over Mexico’s Linda Soto to capture the vacant Bantamweight crown.

Hokmi, who previously held the WBF World Super Flyweight title and never lost it in the ring, was in with a determined challenger in Soto who clearly came to win and got off to a good start.

Photo:  Facebook of Nadya Hokmi

The visitor fought aggressively and landed well to body and head, but in the third round Hokmi seemed to find her rhythm and after four stanzas the scores were dead even.

Soto, the reigning WBF Intercontinental Super Flyweight ruler, remained dangerous and determined, and clearly had her share of success in the remainder of the bout as Hokmi’s right eye started to swell in round five.

But it was the local favorite who finished the fight best and won most of the rounds on two of the scorecards.

After ten entertaining rounds that were a credit to women’s boxing, judges Brahim Ait Aaid and Christophe Hembert both scored in favor of Hokmi by 97-93, while Sergio Sotelo had it even at 95-95.

The new WBF Women’s World Bantamweight Champion improved her record to 20-6-1 (9), while Soto, ten years the younger at 26, fell to 6-4 (3).

Also on the card, late substitute Fabriece Aurieng won the vacant WBF International Heavyweight title with a wide unanimous decision over seasoned Brazilian Raphael Zumbano.

Aurieng, fighting from his tricky southpaw stance, was throughout the busier and hungrier fighter of the two, and outlanded the more experienced Zumbano in practically every round.

Brahim Ait Aaid scored the fight 120-108, Sergio Sotelo had it 119-109 and Toni Tiberi 118-111.

Nicknamed “Big Boy”, Aurieng is an accomplished Kickboxer too, and improved his professional boxing record to a deceiving 8-6 (2). Zumbano travels back to Brazil at 33-7-1 (26).

The World Boxing Federation doubleheader was promoted by Etoile Production.

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