Yoenis Tellez Fights Through Broken Nose To Beat Brian Mendoza

Yoenis Tellez fought through a broken nose and heavy bleeding to secure a unanimous decision over Brian Mendoza on Saturday night, keeping himself in the mix at 154 pounds with a result that came at a physical cost.

Tellez said the pain was “10 of 10” and admitted he struggled to breathe after a clash of heads left his nose badly damaged early in the fight. He stayed in it anyway.

“When you’re a warrior, you don’t admit weakness,” Tellez said in the ring afterward. “My corner got me back into the fight. I’m a warrior, and my corner told me, ‘You got balls.’”

Judges scored it 98-92, 97-93, and 97-93 in favor of Tellez, now 12-1, in a co-main event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The turning point came in the third round when Mendoza’s forehead struck Tellez’s nose during an exchange. Blood spilled onto the canvas as referee Harvey Dock paused the fight to allow extra time for treatment. Tellez nodded to continue and was met with applause from the crowd.

Before the injury, Tellez had started to find his range, landing clean shots in the second. After the stoppage, he worked to regain control, mixing in jabs and straight rights as the bleeding slowed.

Mendoza had his moments in the middle rounds, backing Tellez up with combinations in the sixth and seventh. Tellez settled back in and used his jab to keep Mendoza from taking over the fight.

In the ninth, he landed two clean shots upstairs, including an uppercut that stood o He closed the fight by picking his spots in the tenth, landing the more accurate punches.

Mendoza, now 23-5, has struggled since his upset knockout of Sebastian Fundora in 2023, dropping three of his last four fights.

Tellez moves forward ranked by the WBA and is looking to secure a place inside the WBC’s top 15 as he continues his push toward another title opportunity.