Rances Barthelemy

Career

Rances has two brothers, Yan Barthelemy and Leduan Barthelemy, who are also professional boxers. Barthelemy was a standout amateur, competing in more than 200 fights and winning a Cuban junior national championship. Barthelemy defected to the United States prior to the 2008 Olympics.

Barthelemy would later become the #1 contender by defeating Fahsai Sakkreerin on June 21, 2013 by second round knockout.

He vacated his title in February 2015 in anticipation of moving up in weight category. In his next contest, fighting in the super lightweight division against Antonio DeMarco at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 21, 2015, Barthelemy gained a convincing victory.

Barthelemy showed his versatility early, coming out orthodox before switching up to southpaw midway throughout the first round. Barthelemy scored a knockdown with a huge left in the fourth round, but DeMarco survived the round.

Achievements

• Barthelemy defeated Arash Usmanee on January 4, 2013 by a controversial twelve round unanimous decision which many observers thought Usmanee had won and became the #2 contender for the IBF Super Featherweight title. Barthelemy originally defeated Argenis Mendez on January 3, 2014 to win the title, but the win was considered controversial, as Barthelemy knocked Mendez out seconds after the bell to signal the end of the second round came. Mendez and his team filled an appeal to the Minnesota Combative Sports Commission and IBF shortly after the fight, and after the appeal was successful on January 30, 2014, the result was changed to a no decision and Mendez was reinstated as the IBF Super Featherweight champion. Barthelemy later defeated Mendez in a rematch on July 10, 2014 via unanimous decision to win the title. Barthelemy lost a point in the ninth round for excessive low blows, but it wasn’t enough to affect the outcome as he won 99-89 on all three cards.