ORLANDO, Fla. – It may not have been the statement victory Lenier Pero was seeking but he got the job done.

The unbeaten Cuban heavyweight contender defeated Jordan Thompson by a unanimous decision in a 10-round clash at Caribe Royale.

Pero, ranked No. 2 by the WBA won by scores of 97-93 and 96-93 twice. Thompson was fighting as a full-fledged heavyweight for the first time.

Pero (13-0, 8 KOs) fought on his front foot much of the fight, doing a lot of his best work to the body of Thompson. However, he strayed low on numerous occasions. The action was halted three times for low blows by Pero, which led to Pero being deducted a point by referee Christopher Young in the seventh round.

The fight largely followed that pattern with Pero pressing the action and forcing the 6-foot-7 Englishman to continually move. Thompson stood his ground occasionally and found some success, but he couldn’t successfully turn the tide fully in his favor.

The most dramatic moment of the fight came late in the ninth round, when the Pero, a southpaw, connected with a big left hand that sent Thompson reeling to the ropes. Pero followed up with some big shots, but Thompson managed to stay on his feet as the bell rang to end the round.

Thompson has now lost back-to-back fights. He was stopped in four rounds by cruiserweight champ Jai Opetaia in September 2023.