Eimantas Stanionis Overwhelmed By WBA Title Win Over Butaev

Eimantas Stanionis moved a step closer to establishing himself as one of the sport’s best welterweights with an action-filled split decision win against the rugged Radzhab Butaev, lifting his WBA title in the main event of a special edition of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING that preceded the four-fight Spence vs. Ugas SHOWTIME PPV from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

In a bout fought at close range, Stanionis landed the crisper, more eye-catching shots, repeatedly rocking the sturdy Butaev with hard rights and a reliable jab in the most complete performance of his career. He won by judges’ scores of 116-111, 117-110 and 113-114, improving to 14-0 with 9 knockouts, while Butaev, who had a point deducted in the 11th for holding and hitting, suffered the first defeat of his career, dropping to 14-1 with 11 knockouts.

“I still can’t believe it,” Stanionis said. “It was a dream come true to hear ‘and the new.’ When I was a kid, I visualized what this would look like and how it would feel to become a champion. It’s because of the hard work, dedication, belief in myself and my team to get me to this big stage. I just want to tell everybody that dreams do come true. If you believe in it and give your everything, it will happen.”

Displaying a granite chin and impressive punch selection, Stanionis, a 27-year-old former Olympian from Lithuania, made his case for securing a fight with the winner of Saturday’s main event between IBF/WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. and WBA champion Yordenis Ugas. 

Though Butaev threw 146 more punches than Stanionis, Stanionis landed at a 37% connect rate while Butaev’s connect rate was 19%, according to CompuBox. Stanionis almost quadrupled Butaev in jabs landed 80-21 with Stanionis also landing 42% of his power punches while Butaev landed 29%.

“The fight went like this because the referee allowed Stanionis to fight with his head down the entire time,” Butaev said. “What can I do if the guy is leading with his head down all the time? I don’t know why he took away a point from me. They should have taken the point away from him because he was diving in the whole time.”

Butaev tried to mix up his attack, switching from southpaw to orthodox, but Stanionis had little trouble solving these different looks.

Stanionis landed a looping overhand right that landed flush in the tenth. But Butaev appeared to buckle Stanionis in the 11th and bloody his nose with a series of blows.

However, moments later Butaev was deducted a point for pushing Stanionis’ head down in a clinch and punching, blunting his momentum.

Butaev made a stand in the last two rounds, pushing Stanionis back with punishing shots but it was Stanionis who, seemingly tiring, answered with two sweeping right hands in the final minute, as the crowd cheered on the action.

The match ended with both men falling to the canvas, winging shots, an appropriate coda to an entertaining brawl.