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Badou Jack on course for James DeGale after majority draw with Lucian Bute

Badou Jack connects with a left on Lucian Bute in their WBC super middleweight championship bout
Image: Badou Jack (left) connects with a left hook on Lucian Bute

Badou Jack retained his WBC super-middleweight title with a majority draw against former world champion Lucian Bute to set up a potential unification fight with James DeGale.

Judge Stephen Rados scored the fight 117-111 for Jack, but Omar Minton and Glen Crocker both had it 114-114 and the Swede was disgusted with the decision after feeling he had clearly won a tough encounter at the DC Armory in Washington. 

"I thought I won the fight," said Jack, who took his record to 20-1-2-KO12. "He's a hell of a fighter. He deserves a lot of credit. He's a great guy and a great champion, but I won the fight."

Believing he was behind in the fight, Bute opened the 12th round swinging, and did so again following a timeout with 55 seconds left to fix tape on Jack's right glove.

As the final bell sounded, Jack raised his hands in anticipation of victory while Bute only turned and headed to his corner.

Jack's promoter Floyd Mayweather also decried the decision.

Badou Jack of Sweden talks to Floyd Mayweather after retaining his belt
Image: Jack talks to Floyd Mayweather (far left) after retaining his belt

"We want to be treated fair," Mayweather said. "We need to get some new judges, because this is not right for the sport of boxing."

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Mayweather said he expected his man to meet DeGale in London in September.

"James DeGale is a very exciting fighter. He's also very explosive. In the future, those two meet down the line in a unification bout, sometime in September. We have to take that to the UK."

In the future, those two meet down the line in a unification bout, sometime in September. We have to take that to the UK.
Floyd Mayweather on DeGale v Jack

Jack, who was accurate and crisp throughout, had earlier come alive in the fifth round after a cautious start, landing several clean blows including a long, looping left hook. 

A similar connection to start the 11th sparked one of the fight's liveliest rounds, before Bute came back with one final effort.

The outcome means Jack remains on course for a unification fight with DeGale, who retained his IBF super-middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Mexico's Rogelio Medina on the same card.

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