WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell was dethroned by Filipino Mark Magsayo on Saturday by a majority decision, ending the longest championship reign in professional boxing.
Magsayo, a 26-year-old undefeated fighter, won on two of the three judges' scorecards, handing Russell his first loss since 2015. Magsayo received 115-113 from two judges, while the other judge tied it at 114-114.
"This has been my dream since I was a child," Magsayo remarked. "I am quite proud of my homeland. Thank you for your Filipino fans' support. "I'm now a world champion."
With his win, Magsayo, who is sponsored by Manny Pacquiao and trained by Freddie Roach, improved to 24-0 with 16 knockouts.
Russell fought Saturday at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with an injured shoulder that forced him to fight one-handed for the entirety of the bout.
"In the third round, I hit him with some nice shots, and that's why he got hurt," Magsayo explained. "I caused him a lot of pain."
Magsayo earned his shot at the title by knocking out Julio Ceja in a title eliminator in August.
Russell, 33, was defending his championship for the sixth time. He has a reputation for sparingly fighting, which means he almost always has to face mandatory challenges. Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, he did not defend last year.
Magsayo, unlike many of Russell's required challenges in recent years, proved to be a legitimate competitor.
Russell had already been removed from some ranking agencies' lists since he only fights once a year.