The Moldovan-born fighter maintained his unbeaten record with a points win against Cooper, and he looked impressive from the outset as he recorded his best victory to date. 

Boxing insiders were expecting a close battle when the fight was first announced, but Ursu was on course to make a mockery of those expectations in the first half of the fight.  

Dominating with his jab and landing numerous hurtful blows, Ursu was in control of the early rounds, and he was able to buzz Cooper on several occasions. 

After building a healthy lead, it looked like Cooper was on his way to being dominated, but he did find some success in the fight’s closing stages as he took more risks, sensing the fight was moving away from him. 

After a final spirited effort from both men in the final session, it was left to the judges to determine the winner, and all three were in agreement that Ursu was the better man on this night. 

Ursu will now have several options to assess at 147lbs, and Cooper’s team will also be confident that they can get their man back in the title mix later this year.

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