Australia’s Sakio Bika has lost his WBC super middleweight world title in Los Angeles to Anthony Dirrell with the American winning by a unanimous points decision.

Bika may have been the champion heading into the re-match at the outdoor StubHub Center on Saturday, but bookmakers made Dirrell the favourite.

The pair fought a controversial draw in New York last December and both vowed in the lead-up to the rematch they would win by knockout.

From the opening bell Dirrell took the fight to the Cameroon-born Australian, a reversal from December’s bout when Bika was the aggressor.

Bika withstood the initial onslaught and in his physical, mauling style Bika took the fight back to Dirrell, jolting the Michigan fighter with some heavy blows in the middle rounds.

Dirrell also answered with some straight right hands on Bika.

When Bika was penalised a point in the eighth round for a low blow Bika responded by wildly going after Dirrell, connecting, but also getting hit by the American.

It continues a horror run for Australian boxing the past month, with Daniel Geale, Blake Caparello and Jarrod Fletcher all losing world-title fights in the US.

Dirrell moves to a 27 win (22 knockout), one draw, professional record.

Bika drops to a 32 win (21 KO), six loss, three draw record.

Bika won the title in New York in June last year with a majority decision over Mexican Marco Antonio Periban.