Australia's Sakio Bika has retained his WBC super middleweight boxing title with a 12-round draw against Anthony Dirrell in New York.
Bika was knocked down in the fifth round and deducted a point in the 11th.
Despite those setbacks, the Sydney-based Cameroon-born fighter dug deep to take most of the latter rounds.
One judge had Bika ahead 114-112, another scored it 116-110 to Dirrell and the third had it 114-114.
The challenger did well in the early rounds, tagging Bika with several right hands.
Bika was up at the count of five after being stunned by a right hand in the fifth, and came on strong in sixth and dictated the second half of the bout.
He slowed Dirrell down with a persistent body attack and also landed to the head.
Both men were warned for pushing in the first round, while the referee also cautioned Bika in the last that he would disqualify him for one more infringement.
Bika maintained his attack to the body despite the warning.
Dirrell showboated in the final 10 seconds, believing he had won the fight and stormed out of the ring straight after the decision.
