by Keith Idec
O’SHAQUIE FOSTER redeemed himself again Saturday night.
The reformed Foster, who won a world title 5½ years after he was imprisoned on an aggravated assault conviction, regained that WBC super featherweight championship by beating Robson Conceicao in their immediate rematch. Foster defeated Conceicao by split decision in a 12-round, 130-pound championship clash ESPN+ streamed from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
Almost four months after Concecaio upset him by split decision, Foster fought more aggressively in another closely contested bout and hurt Conceicao with a right hand that knocked Conceicao off balance in the 10th round. Judges Max De Luca and Eric Marlinski both scored their second fight 115-113 for Foster, who lost 115-113 on the card of Tom Schreck.
Not much separated Foster (23-3, 12 KOs), of Orange, Texas, from Conceicao (19-3-1, 9 KOs), of Salvador, Brazil, again in their second meeting.
It was a little more entertaining than their first fight, in which Foster fought in the championship rounds as if he were way ahead on the scorecards July 6 in Newark, New Jersey. The favored Foster felt he did more than enough to beat Conceicao on the Shakur Stevenson-Artem Harutyunyan undercard at Prudential Center, but two judges scored their 12-round fight for Conceicao.