Joe Cordina beats Gabriel Flores Jr. by unanimous decision (117-110, 115-112, 114-113) in Stockton, California.

One stanza left, and Flores will need a KO — or very favorable home judging.

Hard right hand from Cordina. Flores is hurt again to the body. Cordina shatters rights onto Flores’ face. Flores is just in survival mode now as more body shots hammer in. This is a beatdown now. Back to the body for Cordina in the final 40 seconds. Flores will survive but it will surely be another defeat to his record.

10-9 Cordina, 116-111 Cordina

Six minutes to decide this one.

Cordina flurries onto Flores to open the penultimate frame. Cordina is beating the will to fight out of Flores. Cordina is connecting with stiff jabs in the first minute of this round. Cordina is forcing Flores around the ring and initiating nonstop pressure on Flores. Cordina fires downstairs when they are on the inside. Nice combination from Cordina at the two-minute mark. Flores holds on. HARD right from Cordina ROCKS Flores. More right hands connecting for Flores. Flores is in a bad way. Cordina is on the verge of a stoppage.

10-9 Cordina, 106-102 Cordina

Cordina has outlanded Flores 71-52 through 9 rounds.

Flores looked fatigued in the tenth round, and it was in this round that the body shots had a real impact on him. A left hook at the two-minute mark clearly hurt him. Cordina’s pressure is becoming really difficult for Flores to deal with as we head into the championship rounds. Great round for Cordina.

10-9 Cordina, 96-93 Cordina

DAZN’s Chris Mannix has Joe Cordina 77-74 up.

Hard one-two chops down on Flores’ chin. Cordina’s pressure is relentless, but he is allowing Flores to land with jabs and sharp hook counters. Pair of body shots for Cordina on the inside. Right-hand, left hook combo for Cordina. They exchanged at mid-range as left hooks went in from both, but Cordina got the better of the action. Body shot from Cordina. Combination counter goes Flores to end the ninth.

10-9 Cordina, 86-84 Cordina

Right hand finds a home for Cordina early in the eighth. Another right hand fires down on Flores around the halfway point. Flores walks Cordina onto a check hook. Cordina continues to flurry at Flores’ guard as Flores was backed up on the ring ropes. Cordina has Flores a little off balance and uncomfortable as right hands on the inside land. HARD body shot hurts Flores. Back comes Flores with a hook.

10-9 Cordina, 76-75 Cordina

Joe Cordina lost a point in the sixth round for punching behind the head. (57-56 Cordina)

Nice left uppercut to left hook two-piece for Flores — Cordina walked right into that power combo. Best moment of the fight for the American. One-two from Cordina clips Flores. Into the final minute, in what has been the best round of the fight for Flores. Cordina chops down with a right. Right hand around the guard connects for the Welshman. Thudding shots on the inside for Cordina followed by a quick combo.

10-9 Flores, 66-66

Cordina fires a right hand over Flores’ jab. Short right from Cordina up close. Stiff jab knocks the head back of Flores. Nice body shot from Cordina before the halfway point. Cordina’s pressure is consistent. Impressive for someone who doesn’t usually fight like this. Cordina walks Flores down with urgency and is hitting whatever he can, including arms and the torso. Cordina finishes the round with a pair of strong hooks.

10-9 Cordina, 48-47 Cordina

Flores begins the fourth round on the front foot. It is short-lived, though, as Cordina pressures him after the break. Strong left hook for the Welshman on the inside. Body shot goes Cordina. Flores walks Cordina onto a clean right-hand counter. Three-piece from Cordina — right-hand, left hook, right hand — lands clean, and Flores nods his head in acknowledgement. Right hand from Cordina has a noticeable effect on Flores. Best round of the fight for Cordina.

10-9 Cordina, 38-38

Flores walks Cordina onto a pair of lefts. Cordina went straight at Flores when the round began and continued his pressure approach. Combination from Cordina, Flores responds with a counter right. Cordina unloads on the guard at the halfway point as Flores was backed up. Brilliant left hook counter from Flores. Cordina needs to be careful because he is just walking through everything so far. Body shot from Cordina to end the third.

10-9 Flores, 29-28 Flores

Nice right from Flores to open the second frame — Cordina looked unaffected by it, though. Sweeping left for Flores. Cordina continues to pressure Flores with the right hand. Right from Cordina partially connects. Flores continues to look uncomfortable on the back foot as Cordina forces him onto the ring ropes with regularity.

10-9 Flores, 19-19

12 rounds for the WBO No. 1 spot — let’s do this!

HARD right connects for Cordina to open this one. Stiff left connects for Flores. Cordina is pressuring Flores onto the ropes, looking to connect with power punches. Nice jab to left hook two-piece for Flores. Cordina fires downstairs. One-two from Cordina lands. The pressure and volume from Cordina are rare for him. Flores counters Cordina with a left hand coming in. The pressure is clearly making Flores uncomfortable.

10-9 Cordina

Gabe Flores Jr takes on Joe Cordina for the WBO International Lightweight title.

Flores (27-2, 8 KOs) is on a six-fight winning streak that’s seen the Stockton fan favorite climb to No. 4 in the WBO rankings.

Cordina (18-1, 9 KOs) is hunting a shot at becoming a two-weight World ruler, and the former IBF 130lb king is handsomely placed in the WBO rankings at No. 6.

The winner will likely become the WBO No. 1 contender at lightweight and the mandatory challenger for Abdullah Mason.

Into the second half of this fight. Mercado has dominated the contest but will be searching for a stoppage in the second half of this fight.

Left hooks land for Mercado, and now a right-hand to left hook two-piece noticeably affects Moran. DOWN AGAIN in the sixth. It was a left uppercut from Mercado that rocked Moran. Moran tried to stay on his feet but couldn’t. 40 seconds to go. Another hook lands. Three-punch combination — right hand, left hook, right hand. DOWN FOR A THIRD TIME — and this one is over! Wow. What a performance.

Moran is being outgunned by Mercado and beaten to the punch every time. Mercado’s speed with hands and feet is giving Moran plenty to think about. Mercado is punishing the body now, as Moran’s guard is keeping him safe upstairs. Just as I say that, though, a right uppercut crushes onto Moran’s chin in the final 30 seconds. Good moment of success for Mercado to end the fourth.

10-9 Mercado, 40-35 Mercado

HARD left hook counter for Mercado to enter Round 3. Moran was off balance and fell to the canvas — there was certainly an argument for a knockdown, but it wasn’t called. Left hook counter finds a home for Mercado. Left hook to right hand two-piece scores for Mercado. Another dominant round.

10-9 Mercado, 30-26 Mercado

Left hook counters connecting for Mercado early in Round 2. Long right partially gets through for Mercado just before the halfway point. Moran is struggling with the speed of Mercado as another body shot hits home. Rights to the body are landing for Tito. He also continues to fire that left hook counter at long range.

10-9 Mercado, 20-17 Mercado