By Alexey Sukachev

WBC #5 ranked lightweight Dejan Zlaticanin (17-0, 12 KOs) scored another significant win yesterday at Dvorana Topolica in Bar, Montenegro, to further solidify his position of a fringe 135lb contender. A highly ranked Montenegrin overcame tough resistance of the Spain-based Russian Petr Petrov, a former world title challenger, to get a hard-fought unanimous decision over twelve rounds of action.

Southpaw Zlaticanin, who was defending his WBC International title for the second time, started fast, using his front hand to control Petrov (32-4-2, 15 KOs) and to keep him at bay. He used his power to tag him in the first half of the bout, and he used his unorthodox stance and defensive abilities to avoid getting hit. However, in the second half of the bout the Russian “Zar” utilized his footwork better than in the first and started to land some heavy punches in return. Both combatants ended the bout with heated exchanges, but after twelve rounds all three judges awarded the fight to the local hero: 116-114, 117-113 and 118-110. The latter result was way off mark.

On the same card, rising local middleweight prospect Milorad Zizc (9-0, 4 KOs) acquired a vacant WBC Mediterranean 160lb belt with a crushing defeat of Italian veteran Francesco Basile (9-2) in the second round. Also, Serbian light welterweight Petar Zivkovic (15-0, 9 KOs) made a quick work of fellow countryman Zoran Didanovic (16-24, 8 KOs) in the first, and light heavyweight Zvjezdan Vidakovic (8-0, 3 KOs) outpointed Serbian Misa Nikolic (16-18, 7 KOs) unanimously over six.

Veselin Zizic was the promoter, while matchmaking was governed by Luka Popovic.