Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez didn’t deliver a knockout Saturday night, but he still sent his loud, proud fans home happy.

The hard-hitting IBF junior lightweight scored two seventh-round knockdowns and beat courageous challenger Christopher Diaz by unanimous decision to retain his 130-pound championship in a 12-round main event DAZN streamed from Centro De Usos Multiples in Nunez’s hometown of Los Mochis, Mexico.

Judges Jose Cobian and Joel Elizondo scored nine rounds apiece for Nunez (29-1, 27 KOs), who won 117-109 on their cards, whereas Daniel Sandoval had it 116-110 for the champion.

Puerto Rico’s Diaz (30-6, 19 KOs) bravely battled the heavily favored knockout artist, often took flush punches without incident and made Nunez respect his power. Diaz just didn’t do enough to win rounds.

“Mexico versus Puerto Rico is always a war,” Nunez said during his post-fight interview in the ring. “Christopher’s a warrior and that’s what he brought today. And I think what we can say is that the fans went away very happy with what they saw in the ring tonight.”

Nunez, 28, has won 19 straight fights since suffering a six-round, unanimous-decision defeat to countryman Hiram Gallardo (then 9-2-2) in June 2018.

He also made the first defense of the IBF 130-pound championship he won in his previous fight – a 12-round unanimous points victory over Masanori Rikiishi (16-2, 11 KOs) on May 25 in Yokohama, Japan, Rikiishi’s hometown.

Diaz, 30, slipped to 0-3 in world title fights.

Emanuel Navarrete, the only opponent to stop Diaz inside the distance, sat ringside Saturday night. Mexico’s Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs, 1 NC) wants a title unification fight with Nunez next, but his mandated immediate rematch with the Philippines’ Charly Suarez (18-0, 10 KOs, 1 NC) could complicate those negotiations.

Nunez was focused Saturday night, however, on celebrating his hard-fought victory versus Diaz.

Nunez and Diaz viciously exchanged power punches throughout an action-packed 12th round. Nunez bled badly from a cut over his left eye and fended off the determined Diaz until the final bell rang.

Diaz fought the 11th round as if he knew this would be his last shot at a world title. That aggression exposed him to Nunez’s flush counter right hands, yet Diaz took his power well.

An accidental clash of heads also opened a cut above Nunez’s left eye in the 11th round.

Undoubtedly down on the scorecards, Diaz came forward and unloaded power punches on Nunez during the 10th round.

Nunez was credited with two knockdowns during the seventh round.

His right hand dropped Diaz with 1:03 remaining in it. Though there was no doubt about that knockdown, Diaz disputed the first one Flores counted about 35 seconds earlier because Diaz contended losing his footing caused him to use his glove from falling all the way to the canvas.

Nunez viciously unloaded body shots on Diaz in the opening minute of the sixth round. An aggressive Nunez pressed the action throughout those three minutes and made Diaz retreat at times.

Nunez landed a right hand almost a minute into the fifth round, but Diaz connected with a right of his own that backed up Nunez. Diaz responded well in the fifth round to a fourth round Nunez completely controlled.

After a largely slow start in the first three rounds, Nunez let his heavy hands go and made Diaz cover up several times in the fourth round. Diaz didn’t mount much offense in that round because the dangerous Nunez was so active.

Diaz drilled Nunez with a right hand that knocked Nunez into the ropes with just under 1:20 on the clock in the third round. Nunez and Diaz traded body shots barely a minute into the third round.

Neither Nunez nor Diaz landed an impactful punch during the first round. Both boxers were cautious in those opening three minutes.