Joe Cordina in the lightweight title mix after big win, targets this world champion next

Joe Cordina skillfully cut off the ring with pressure, force-feeding Gabriel Flores Jr. to a buffet of body punches and stiff potshots to victory Saturday night, live on DAZN.

All three judges inside Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California scored the bout in favor of Cordina toward a rousing unanimous decision that he believes puts him in the lightweight world title mix.

At 34, the former two-time super featherweight world champion believes his window of opportunity is nearing shut, so he did not hesitate to confirm the 135-pound titleholder in his sights.

"One-hundred percent," Cordina told DAZN's Chris Mannix, confirming his interest to challenge WBO lightweight world champion Abdullah Mason next year. 

"I'm 34 years of age, I only got a couple of years left so I want to make sure every fight counts. These big fights are the ones I want."

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn believes Cordina challenging Mason would thrill fans.

"That's a hell of a fight," Hearn said live on DAZN. "Let's go straight into that fight March or April, Cleveland, Cardiff, wherever they want to do it."

Saturday night, Cordina (19-1, 9 KOs) outworked the Stockton hometown fighter Flores who is nearly 10 years his junior.

The 11th round even had the Welsh fighter threatening a stoppage as a eye-catching right hand seemed to have Flores knocked out on his feet.

Cordina did not rate his own performance highly, critical of his own jab, but the decision going his way was supported by Compubox final punch stats which had him outlanding Flores 199 to 102, having thrown 646 punches to Flores' 496.