Abner Mares recaptures a featherweight title with victory over Jesus Cuellar

Abner Mares, fighting just a few miles from the Hawaiian Gardens community where he pulled himself from poverty, produced another self-resurrection Saturday night to recapture a featherweight world title.

Mares, 31, outboxed Argentina’s Jesus Cuellar, relying on fighting intellect, hand speed and an 11th-round knockdown to take the World Boxing Assn. featherweight belt by split-decision scores of 117-110, 112-115 and 116-111 at USC’s Galen Center.

“I never doubted myself. I felt it in my heart,” Mares said of the effort he produced following a 15-month layoff from a title loss to Leo Santa Cruz and a rebuff from the New York State Athletic Commission due to concerns over a surgically repaired left eye.

During the hiatus, Mares (30-2-1), who previously had won belts in the bantamweight, super-bantamweight and featherweight divisions, spent several weeks training away from his family on new trainer Robert Garcia’s ranch home in Riverside.

Garcia emphasized the importance of boxing, telling Mares it wasn’t in his best interest — particularly against the heavy-handed Cuellar — to wage the typical toe-to-toe battles that Mares enjoys by nature.

“That’s my coaching. I had the perfect game plan. ... I fought smart tonight and in my last fight I didn’t,” Mares said, referring to the majority-decision loss to Southland rival Santa Cruz last year at Staples Center. “I’m so glad to be called a world champion again. It means a great deal to me.”

While Cuellar (28-2) sought to set up power punches but landed only 25% of his punches (compared to Mares’ 35% rate), Mares stayed busier with combinations and effectively counterpunched to pile up rounds.

“Cuellar was a little flat,” his trainer Freddie Roach said. “Abner had a good start. He moved and he held and it worked. Abner was a better man. I didn’t deliver. Garcia did. And that’s the bottom line.”

A right cross to the face that knocked Cuellar down in the 11th round clinched the outcome on the scorecards of Dave Moretti, who had it 116-11, and Max DeLuca, who had it 117-110. Judge Kermit Bayless had Cuellar ahead, 115-112.

“I’m the champion and that’s all that matters,” said Mares, adding that he’ll be eager to meet the winner of the Jan. 28 Santa Cruz-Carl Frampton rematch or fellow 126-pound champions like Gary Russell Jr. or Lee Selby.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire