Xander Zayas has become a world champion for the first time at the age of 22. He outperformed Jorge Garcia for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title, securing a unanimous decision in the match held Saturday night.

The fight was largely one-sided, with Zayas demonstrating clear skill by not only outboxing Garcia but also executing more powerful punches from the outset. Garcia, entering the fight with a record of 33-4, was unable to match Zayas (21-0, 13 KO) effectively.

While Zayas’s victory was solid from the beginning, it opens up the possibility for a unification bout against the formidable WBC champion Sebastian Fundora, who had just scored a dominant TKO victory over Tim Tszyu.

The other champions currently at 154 pounds include WBA champion Terence Crawford, who is moving up a weight class to challenge Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, alongside Fundora and IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev.

With his latest win, Zayas has earned the distinction of being the youngest active world champion, at 22 years and 330 days old.

The final scorecards revealed 116-112, 118-110, and 119-109, all favoring Zayas.

“Man, [I’ve dreamed of this] since I’m five years old. It’s amazing to be here and represent Puerto Rico at the highest level. And to just put the pride of my island where it belongs. Where it belongs, at the top.”

— Zayas multiplied the importance of his victory by emphasizing how meaningful it is for him personally and for his home country.

“… Boxing 101, I had to box my way to victory. I knew that if I stood in here, I was going to fight his fight. That jab, that jab was the key to victory, and we showed that today.”

Zayas is now looking forward to a potential unification bout with Fundora, as he prepares for a fight scheduled for December.