James DeGale has beaten challenger Lucian Bute on a unanimous points decision to successfully defend his IBF super-middleweight title.
The 29-year-old was made to battle all the way by Bute to take the bout to 12 rounds in Quebec as the Brit was forced to dig deep throughout the contest.
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Bute launched a furious assault in the fourth round with a series of left hooks before landing with a right to ignite the crowd inside the Centre Videotron
DeGale suffered a cut above his eye in the middle of the fifth round in a clash of heads, but he was able to assert his control of the bout with numerous well-timed jabs.
The Brit continued to land his strikes in the latter rounds as the Romanian-born Canadian began to fade under the pressure of the blows.
DeGale finished strongly to take the bout away from Bute, although the 35-year-old ensured that he remained in the fight until the final bell.
However, the 29-year-old's victory was confirmed through the judges who scored the match 116-112, 117-111, 117-111 in his favour.
Simon Sinclair
