Abner Mares
RECORD
31 - 3 - 2
KOs
15
Abner Mares overcame a childhood marked by poverty and violence to become an Olympian, and then a four-time champion in three weight classes. Read Bio
Last Fight
Draw vs Miguel Flores
Sep 04, 2022 / Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Abner Mares DRAWS with Miguel Flores by MDR in Round 10 of 10
Videos
Latest News
Abner Mares News
Abner Mares Finds Clarity After Calamity
As he prepares to launch a new podcast and make a ring return, the former three-division world champion reflects on the events that led to depression and how he overcame it.
For PBC Fighters, Every Day is Mother's Day
Keith Thurman, Abner Mares, Mario Barrios and Marcus Browne explain what their mothers mean to them on this special day.
This Week on The PBC Podcast: Danny Garcia & Abner Mares
Two of the game’s best discuss how they’re passing time during the pandemic and what’s next for them once boxing resumes.
Fights
Abner Mares Fights
Draw vs Miguel Flores 27-5-1
Sep 04, 2022 • Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Abner Mares DRAWS with Miguel Flores by MDR in Round 10 of 10
LOSS vs Leo Santa Cruz 38-2-1
Jun 09, 2018 • The Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Leo Santa Cruz WINS against Abner Mares by UD in Round 12 of 12
Win vs Andres Gutierrez 38-2-1
Oct 14, 2017 • StubHub Center, Carson, California
Abner Mares WINS against Andres Gutierrez by TD in Round 10 of 12
WIN vs Abner Mares 29-4-0
Dec 10, 2016 • Galen Center, Los Angeles
Abner Mares LOSES to Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar by SD in Round 12 of 12
LOSS vs Leo Santa Cruz 38-2-1
Aug 29, 2015 • Staples Center, Los Angeles
Leo Santa Cruz WINS against Abner Mares by MD in Round 12 of 12
Win vs Arturo Santos Reyes 18-4-0
Mar 07, 2015 • MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Abner Mares WINS against Arturo Santos Reyes by UD in Round of 10
Win vs Jose Luis Ramirez 25-4-0
Dec 13, 2014 • MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Jose Luis Ramirez by RTD in Round 5 of 10
Win vs Jose Ramirez 25-4-0
Dec 13, 2014 • MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Jose Ramirez by RTD in Round 5 of 10
Win vs Jonathan Oquendo-Arnaldi 24-3-0
Jul 12, 2014 • MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Jonathan Oquendo-Arnaldi by UD in Round 10 of 10
Win vs Jonathan Oquendo 24-3-0
Jul 12, 2014 • MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Jonathan Oquendo by UD in Round 10 of 10
Loss vs Jhonny Gonzalez 54-8-0
Aug 24, 2013 • StubHub Center, Carson, California, USA
Abner Mares LOSES to Jhonny Gonzalez by KO in Round 1 of 12
WIN vs Daniel Ponce De Leon 44-4-0
May 04, 2013 • MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Daniel Ponce De Leon LOSES to Abner Mares by TKO in Round 9 of 12
Win vs Anselmo Moreno 33-1-1
Nov 10, 2012 • Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Anselmo Moreno by UD in Round 12 of 12
Win vs Eric Morel 46-2-0
Apr 21, 2012 • Don Haskins Convention Center, El Paso, Texas, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Eric Morel by UD in Round 12 of 12
Win vs Joseph Agbeko 28-3-0
Dec 03, 2011 • Honda Center, Anaheim, California, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Joseph Agbeko by UD in Round 12 of 12
Win vs Joseph Agbeko 28-2-0
Aug 13, 2011 • Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, The Joint, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Joseph Agbeko by MD in Round 12 of 12
WIN vs Vic Darchinyan 35-2-1
Dec 11, 2010 • Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, Washington, USA
Vic Darchinyan LOSES to Abner Mares by SD in Round 12 of 12
Draw vs Yonnhy Perez 20-0-0
May 22, 2010 • Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
Yonnhy Perez DRAWS with Abner Mares by MD in Round 12 of 12
Win vs Felipe Almanza 17-15-4
Mar 25, 2010 • Club Nokia, Los Angeles, California, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Felipe Almanza by KO in Round 5 of 10
Win vs Carlos Fulgencio 11-2-1
Aug 27, 2009 • Club Nokia, Los Angeles, California, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Carlos Fulgencio by KO in Round 6 of 8
Win vs Jonathan Perez 14-5-0
May 02, 2009 • MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Jonathan Perez by RTD in Round 6 of 8
Win vs Jonathan Arias 15-1-0
Jun 27, 2008 • Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, Cabazon, California, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Jonathan Arias by UD in Round 10 of 10
Win vs Diosdado Gabi 30-3-1
Mar 15, 2008 • Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Diosdado Gabi by TKO in Round 2 of 12
Win vs Damian David Marchiano 14-2-1
Nov 17, 2007 • Borgata Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Damian David Marchiano by UD in Round 12 of 12
Win vs Isidro Garcia 24-3-2
Sep 07, 2007 • Desert Diamond Casino, Tucson, Arizona, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Isidro Garcia by RTD in Round 7 of 12
Win vs Saul Gutierrez Hernandez 4-10-1
Jul 06, 2007 • Convention Center, McAllen, Texas, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Saul Gutierrez Hernandez by UD in Round 6 of 6
Win vs Saul Gutierrez 4-10-1
Jul 06, 2007 • Convention Center, McAllen, Texas, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Saul Gutierrez by UD in Round 6 of 6
Win vs Angel Antonio Priolo 30-5-0
Apr 20, 2007 • Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Angel Antonio Priolo by TKO in Round 6 of 10
Win vs Robert Allanic 16-2-0
Mar 02, 2007 • New Alhambra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Robert Allanic by RTD in Round 8 of 10
Win vs Wilmer Rodriguez 8-0-0
Nov 25, 2006 • Dodge Arena, Hidalgo, Texas, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Wilmer Rodriguez by TKO in Round 4 of 10
Win vs Kevin Hudgins 5-5-0
Sep 15, 2006 • Aragon Ballroom 1106 W Lawrence, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Kevin Hudgins by UD in Round 8 of 8
Win vs Omar Adorno 14-5-1
Feb 24, 2006 • Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Omar Adorno by UD in Round 8 of 8
Win vs Yamin Mohammad 5-9-1
Dec 16, 2005 • Convention Center, Austin, Texas, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Yamin Mohammad by UD in Round 8 of 8
Win vs Selso Bosquez 3-0-0
Sep 17, 2005 • MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Selso Bosquez by TKO in Round 4 of 6
Win vs Elvis Luciano Martinez 10-10-2
Jul 16, 2005 • MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Elvis Luciano Martinez by TKO in Round 3 of 6
Win vs Baladan Trevizo 4-8-3
Jun 16, 2005 • Sundance Square, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Baladan Trevizo by TKO in Round 5 of 6
Win vs David Vasquez 1-0-1
Apr 29, 2005 • Entertainment Center, Laredo, Texas, USA
Abner Mares WINS against David Vasquez by UD in Round 6 of 6
Win vs Francisco Soto 6-12-2
Feb 19, 2005 • Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Francisco Soto by KO in Round 5 of 6
Win vs Luis Malave 8-5-1
Jan 06, 2005 • Desert Diamond Casino, Tucson, Arizona, USA
Abner Mares WINS against Luis Malave by TKO in Round 2 of 6
Stats
Abner Mares
- WINS 31
- LOSSES 3
- DRAWS 2
- KOs 15
Weight 126 lbs (57.27 kg)
Height 5'5½" (1.66 m)
Reach 66" (168 cm)
-
Born
November 28, 1985 -
Age
39 -
Country
USA -
Born in
Guadalajara, Jalisco -
Trains in
Montebello, CA
-
Stance
-
Rounds Boxed
284 -
KO Percentage
48.39% -
Boxing Hero
Julio César Chávez
Fighter data provided by BoxRec Ltd. View disclaimer
Abner Mares Bio
Mares’ childhood was tough, and it only made him tougher still in the ring. Born in Mexico before immigrating to California when he was 7, Mares’ youth was spent in poverty and gangs before he turned to boxing as a teenager. After an outstanding amateur career, the former Olympian has went on to win four world titles in three weight divisions.
The boxing ring can be brutal and unforgiving, a place where dreams can quickly become nightmares.
For Mares, though, it’s long been a sanctuary, an escape from even tougher environs: the streets on which he grew up.
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Mares and his family immigrated to the United States when he was 7 years old.
Mares, one of 11 siblings, came of age in Hawaiian Gardens, California, a small, hardscrabble town in Los Angeles County with a long history of gang warfare.
For a time, Mares got caught up in that lifestyle, his youth marked by poverty and a hand-to-mouth existence.
A star from the start
At age 15, Mares was sent back to Mexico by his father so he could pursue a spot on the Mexican Olympic boxing team.
Extremely lonely and homesick, Mares was convinced by his parents to stick it out.
"I am the person I am now because of everything I went through as a child," he told Yahoo! Sports in 2013. "All that, eating out of trash cans, being in a gang, sleeping on the floor because I had nothing, living on my own at 15, that made me who I am. I grew up fast. I had a different life, but it's all good.”
Mares soon was rewarded for his perseverance, earning the gold medal at the 2002 World Cadet Championships and the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games.
He then won the silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games and the 2004 World Junior Championships.
Mares represented Mexico at the 2004 Olympics, competing in the Athens Games at 119 pounds.
He was eliminated after one fight, though, losing a controversial 27-24 decision to Zsolt Bedak of Hungary, and ended his amateur career with a record of 112-8 with 84 knockouts.
Rising into contention
Mares won his professional debut fighting at 122 pounds in January 2005, gaining a second-round technical knockout of Luis Malave in Tucson, Arizona.
Mares defeated Isidro Garcia in Tucson in September 2007 to improve his record to 14-0, stopping the former 112-pound world champion in seven rounds.
He won his next three fights before suffering an eye injury during training that required surgery.
Returning to the ring in May 2009, Mares defeated Jonathan Perez in six rounds in Las Vegas.
Mares got his first shot at a world title against unbeaten 118-pound champion Yonnhy Perez in Los Angeles in May 2010.
The bout ended in a 12-round majority draw, allowing Perez to retain his title, with one judge scoring it 115-113 in favor of Mares, while the other two judges had it at 114-114.
Realizing the dream
After defeating Vic Darchinyan in a 12-round split decision in December 2010, Mares got his second shot at a world championship at 118 pounds in August 2011.
This time, Mares was victorious, knocking down Joseph Agbeko in the first and 11th rounds en route to winning a 12-round majority decision in Las Vegas.
The two fighters met in a rematch in Anaheim, California, in December 2011, and again Mares emerged victorious, winning a 12-round unanimous decision to retain his title.
For Mares, winning a world championship was a culmination of the tough climb from the trials of his childhood, and it kicked off an 18-month run in which he would win world titles in three weight divisions.
“This shows I made it to something big, that I've done something good with my life,” Mares told the Los Angeles Times in 2012.
A champion at multiple weights
Mares moved up to 122 pounds to face Eric Morel for the vacant world championship in El Paso, Texas, in April 2012.
Mares entered the fight as an overwhelming favorite, and gained the title by winning a 12-round unanimous decision.
Mares defended his title against Anselmo Moreno in Los Angeles in November 2012, winning a 12-round unanimous decision.
He then moved up in weight again, challenging Daniel Ponce De Leon for his 126-pound world title in Las Vegas in May 2013.
Mares floored the champ in the second round before finishing him off in the ninth to become a three-division world champion and improve his record to 26-0-1.
Mares suffered his first pro defeat and lost his title in his next fight, getting KO’d in the first round by Jhonny Gonzalez in Carson, California, in August 2013.
He bounced back with two victories in 2014, winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Oquendo in July before stopping Jose Ramirez in five rounds in December.
A true PBC redemption story
Mares was part of the first Premier Boxing Champions card, taking on Arturo Santos Reyes at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on March 7, 2015, in a fight that aired on NBC Sports Network.
The former world champion won a 10-round unanimous decision in a hard-fought, back-and-forth battle.
Mares scored a second-round knockdown of Reyes to help win the fight by scores of 96-93, 98-91 and 99-90, and keep himself in contention for another shot at a world championship.
Mares gets his shot
That shot came 5 months later, when Mares and long-time friendly rival Leo Santa Cruz met in a highly-anticipated "Battle for Los Angeles." The two squared off in a PBC card aired on ESPN in front of a raucous hometown crowd at the Staples Center. In what would eventually be pegged as the 2015 PBC Fight of the Year, the two did not disappoint, throwing down over 12 brutal rounds, but Santa Cruz handed Mares just his second career defeat via Majority Decision.
A fresh start
Mares took some time off and re-evaluated some things in his career, and wouldn't return to the ring until more than a year later on December 10, 2016. With new trainer Robert Garcia in his corner, Mares got another shot at his fourth world title against Argentina's heavy-handed Jesus Cuellar. Under Garcia, Mares showed the elite-level boxing skills he'd displayed regularly as an amateur and early in his pro career, resisting the urge to brawl in the way he did with Santa Cruz. His consistent, patient work paid off, as he scored a late knockdown of Cuellar that helped lead the way to a Split Decision victory.
Mares was now a four-time world champion and a two-time 126-pound world champion.
On October 14, 2017, he notched a 10-round technical decision over Andres Gutierrez at StubHub in Carson, California.
ANOTHER WAR WITH SANTA CRUZ
On June 9, 2018, Mares and Santa Cruz squared off again at Staples Center in a featherweight unification bout.
In front of 12,505 fans, the two went to war again, combining for 2,038 punches, seven more punches than the two combined to throw in their first fight. Santa Cruz landed 357 of 1,061 punches and Mares landed 226 of 997 in the rematch. In the end, Santa Cruz pounded out another thrilling victory, winning by 12-round unanimous decision.
Mares was expected to return on February 9, 2019, versus super featherweight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis but an eye injury suffered during training camp forced him to pull out.
THE RETURN
Mares would not fight again until September 4, 2022, when he faced Miguel Flores on a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View card from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The two battled to an exciting majority draw after 10-rounds in their lightweight duel.
Mares had a hot start to his ring-return, landing a series of sharp right hands early in round two that brought his hometown Southern California crowd to its feet as their hometown hero landed 42 blows in the frame.
"Obviously it had been over four years, so I was a little off with my timing and a little sluggish,” said Mares. “But I felt good and I thought I was landing the more powerful shots throughout.”
Although Mares held a 151 to 124 edge in punches landed, the two combatants were even at 90 to 90 in punches landed throughout rounds three through 10. Flores had his best rounds in the final two frames, sweeping the ninth and 10th on all three cards to clinch the draw. The raucous 10th round left the fans on their feet with both fighters raising their hand in victory before the scores of 95-95 twice and 96-94 for Mares were read.
“After four years away I did enough to beat a young kid and an active fighter,” said Mares. “My performance speaks for itself. The crowd was happy and it felt good to be home. I definitely felt like I won but it is what it is, the judges saw a draw."
“I am the person I am now because of everything I went through as a child.”