MANILA, Philippines – JohnRiel Casimero retained his International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight championship after outpointing top contender Luis Alberto Rios in Panama Sunday.

Defending his title on the road for the second straight time, Casimero won with scores of 119-109, 119-109 and 118-110.

According to a Boxing Scene report, the bout started with Casimero on the offensive, hitting Rios with power shots in the early rounds. [http://www.boxingscene.com/john-riel-casimero-tops-luis-alberto-rios-dull-affair--63443]

But action slowed in the middle, with Casimero keeping Rios at arms length through his jab, while the challenger settled for throwing one punch at a time.

It was Casimero’s fourth straight victory and the second defense of the championship he won in a fight-marred bout against Argentina’s Luis Lazarte in February 2012.

The Filipino improved to 18 wins with two losses, while Rios suffered his second lost against 18 wins and one draw.