In Mares' next fight, he moved up to the super bantamweight division, fighting former world champion Eric Morel for the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight title. The fight took place on April 21, 2012, at a catchweight of 120 lbs. Mares effectively out worked, landed more, and landed the harder punches throughout the fight, with Morel showing significant signs of his age. Mares won a unanimous decision by the scores of 120-107, 119-109, and 119-109 to claim his first Super Bantamweight title.