Miguel Cotto Fighter Biography

At the age of 28, Miguel is an eight-year pro. The WBO welterweight world champion, he won the title in February, 2009, and has made one successful defense.

He is Puerto Rico's brightest star and biggest draw in the ring, has fought and beaten some of the sport's biggest names, and already had a Hall of Fame career.

Miguel is coming off a 12 round decision win against former IBF welterweight world champion Joshua Clottey in his last fight in June, 2009.

After the fight, Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com [excerpts]: "There's nothing quite like the atmosphere and excitement of a Cotto fight at hallowed Madison Square Garden on the eve of the annual National Puerto Rican Day parade. It's always a festive scene, and for the fourth time in the past five years, Cotto headlined on the weekend and gave his fans something to cheer about. Most of the heavily Puerto Rican crowd of 17,734 was staunchly in Cotto's corner, cheering wildly for him as he made the first defense of the vacant welterweight belt he picked up with a dominant fifth-round knockout of England's Michael Jennings at the Garden in February.

"But this time, Cotto was facing Clottey, a far more dangerous, durable and quality opponent. Clottey is world-class and had given up his own version of the 147-pound crown to make the fight possible rather than face a mandatory challenger. The result was an excellent, high-level fight between two of the best in the star-studded weight class.

"Cotto, two fights removed from his 11-round knockout loss to Antonio Margarito (whom many believe faced Cotto with loaded hand wraps and cheated his way to victory) last summer, overcame a scenario similar to the one he faced in that fight. Like Margarito, Clottey is a rough, physical fighter. The fight played out in a similar fashion to Margarito-Cotto in that Cotto was a bit dominant early until Clottey got rolling in the middle rounds and began imposing himself on Cotto, who was cut and fading slightly. But this time, Cotto hung in like a champ.

"Cotto overcame a brutal gash in his left eyebrow from an accidental head butt in the third round. The blood flowed freely from the cut for most of the rest of the fight and certainly had an impact on Cotto's ability to see Clottey's right hand coming. After the fight, Cotto needed six stitches in a cut below his eye and 14 in the bad one above his eye.

"Clottey can complain that he was robbed all he wants, and some contrary fans and writers can join the chorus, but the reason he didn't win is because of his own shortcomings, not poor judging. Cotto fought all three minutes of the rounds and fought smart. Can't say the same for Clottey, and it cost him dearly."

Fightwriter.com's Graham Houston reported [excerpts]: "A split decision was to be expected after such a well-contested bout, but to me there was no doubt that Cotto deserved the win.

"It is true that Clottey was moving forward in the later rounds, and he looked the stronger man—but walking in with gloves up, following an opponent around the ring and not throwing punches, doesn't win rounds.

"The fight was there for the taking, but Clottey didn't drive himself forward with the extra effort that was needed.

"Cotto won with superior tactics. He moved, stopped to punch and moved again. Clottey, after looking so good at numerous stages of the fight, just seemed to lose the plot.

"Cotto's movement in the later rounds wasn't allowing Clottey to get set to punch. Although Clottey blocked many blows on his high guard, he wasn't firing off his own shots. Cotto was outsmarting him and outpointing him.

"With a number of close rounds, divergent scores were understandable. Cotto's 10-8 opening round, when his stiff left jab sat down an off-balance Clottey, in the end didn't prove to be his margin of victory—he would have won even without scoring the fight's sole knockdown.

"Clottey did some excellent scoring with the left hook to the body and left uppercut through the middle, and he also enjoyed success with the jab and straight right hand.

"Cotto overall was the busier man, though, and his combinations to the body and use of the jab enabled him to snatch rounds when Clottey fell into his move-in-without-punching pattern.

"After 11 gruelling rounds it was Cotto who provided the eye-catching finish."

Miguel is also a former WBA welterweight world champion—he won that title in December, 2006, and made four successful title defenses.

He won the WBO junior welterweight world title at the age of 23 in September, 2004, and made six successful title defenses before vacating the title to move up in weight.

He is experienced against top opposition and has fought current or former world champions Joshua Clottey (W12), Antonio Margarito (TKOby11), Shane Mosley (W12), Zab Judah (TKO11), Carlos Quintana (TKO5), Paulie Malignaggi (W12), Ricardo Torres (KO7), DeMarcus Corley (TKO5), Randall Bailey (TKO6), Carlos Maussa (TKO8), and Cesar Bazan (TKO11). He has also beaten previously undefeated contender Kelson Pinto (TKO6), as well as veteran contenders Muhammad Abdulaev (TKO9), Victoriano Sosa (TKO4) and Lovemore Ndou (W12).

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