Boxing
Bam Rodriguez wins the bantamweight crown with a sixth-round TKO of Antonio Vargas
In the main event, Rodriguez improved to 24-0 (17 KO) after a sixth-round stoppage of Vargas, who dropped to 19-2-1 (11 KO). Rodriguez secured the victory at 1:15 of the sixth round of the scheduled 12-round fight.
Vargas had the advantage in the first round, ahead of Rodriguez. Rodriguez responded well in the second round, using the move effectively before Vargas closed the scoring strongly with a quick strike slow on. Vargas continued to find success in the third and fourth rounds, often overpowering Rodriguez.
The fight took a dramatic turn in the fifth round when Rodriguez delivered an overhand left hand that knocked Vargas down early in the round. Referee Chris Flores counted and Vargas got up and continued.
In the sixth round, Rodriguez closed the show. A fierce three-punch combination sent Vargas to the canvas again, and Flores counted out Vargas, giving Rodriguez another world title to add to his growing resume.
In the co-main event, Arturo Cardenas improved his record to 18-0-2 (9 KO), defeating Jordan Martinez, who dropped to 16-1-1 (15 KO) over 10 rounds.
The first two rounds were close, with Cardenas pressing and having a slight advantage. Martinez found success in the third and fourth rounds with his counter punches and movements, rocking Cardenas with a left hand slow in the fourth round.
Cardenas responded in the fifth round, landing a right hand that caught Martinez’s attention in another close stanza. From the sixth to ninth rounds, the action remained fierce, although Cardenas seemed to gain the advantage with body attacks. In the 10th and final round, Cardenas seemed to outsmart Martinez enough to secure the decision.
The judges scored the fight 100-90, 98-92 and 97-93. Raul Caiz Jr. he was a judge.
In the lightweight division, Elias Terraza remained undefeated, improving to 14-0 (9 KO), following a second-round stoppage of Adrian Rodriguez, who dropped to 10-1 (6 KO).
Terraza effectively took advantage of his height advantage in the first round, landing a jab and landing a right hand to Rodriguez’s temple in the final minute. Early in the second round, Terraza dropped a right cross to Rodriguez. After Rodriguez took down the count, Terraza pounced on him with a sustained attack, forcing referee Chris Flores to stop the fight at the 2:30 mark.
IBF women’s lightweight champion Elif Nur Turhan defended her title with a narrow unanimous decision over Gabriela “Sosa” Tellez.
Turhan improved to 14-0 (8 KO), while Tellez dropped to 7-1 (3 KO). Despite the official verdict, the fight was fierce throughout.
Turhan boxed effectively in the early rounds, while Tellez managed to land right hands, especially slow in the opening phase. Turhan seemed to have the advantage in the middle rounds before Tellez rallied in the fifth round.
Turhan landed a solid right hand in the final seconds of the sixth round that briefly rattled Tellez. In the seventh round, Tellez responded with a left hook that drew blood from Turhan’s mouth before the champion finished the round strongly.
The ninth round was close and Turhan seemed to have beaten Tellez. During the final round, referee Richard Hoyle warned Turhan twice for pushing Tellez to the canvas. Turhan pushed tough to stop in the closing moments, landing a wild right hand as the fight came to an end.
All three judges scored the fight 96-94 in favor of Turhan.
World Boxing News provides undercard results and updates as Katie Taylor faces Flora Pili in a historic homecoming at Croke Park in Dublin.
Taylor puts her IBF, IBO and WBO super lightweight titles on the line against undefeated challenger Pili, with the vacant WBC championship also at stake over ten two-minute rounds.
The card also features an all-Irish welterweight clash between Paddy Donovan and Tyrone McKenna, while David Allen faces Thomas Carty in a ten-round heavyweight contest.
WBN provides live results and updates from every bout as they happen, plus selected scorecards.
Scorecards:
Katie Taylor vs. Flora Pili
Paddy Donovan vs. Tyrone McKenna
David Allen vs. Thomas Carty
Molly McCann vs. Sylwia Doligala
Results
All times are local.
21:01
David Allen vs Thomas Carty ended in a first-round no contest after a horrible ending at Croke Park. Carty fell out of the ring after being caught by a punch to the back of the head and was unable to continue.
The Irish heavyweight received oxygen at ringside before the bout was officially declared a no contest.
20:16
Paddy Donovan scored a fourth-round TKO victory over Tyrone McKenna after a damaging all-Irish battle. McKenna was dropped by a body shot in the second before suffering a nasty gash over his right eyebrow, forcing the contest to be stopped in round four.
19:46
On the first bout of the main televised card, Taylor Bevan scored a sixth-round knockout over Emmet Brennan, ending their all-Irish super middleweight clash emphatically at Croke Park.
18:50
Molly McCann produced a dominant performance at Croke Park, winning all eight rounds on the WBN scorecard to defeat Sylwia Doligala. The former UFC star controlled the contest throughout to move to 5-0 as a professional boxer.
Official scores were 80-72, 80-73 and 79-73 as the Liverpudlian moves closer to a world title shot.
18:01
Joe McGrail stopped Matthew Boreland to claim a regional title and continue his ranks through the super bantamweight ranks. McGrail is now 14-0.
17:22
Bobbi Flood defeated Jack Swallow in an entertaining four-rounder before an announcement was made about the opening fight between Paul Ryan and Paddy Gallagher.
Initially, Gallagher was named as the victor. However, that result was overturned and Ryan was declared the winner 58-55 on points.
17:03
Heavyweight Adam Olaniyan made brutally short work of Matej Hudak, blasting him out inside the opening round to extend his perfect professional record to 4-0 with four stoppages.
TV Coverage
The event is available live on DAZN.
Follow WBN’s live boxing coverage throughout the event.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.
Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.
Molly McCann (5-0) defeated Sylwia Doligala (8-3-2) by unanimous decision after eight rounds in their super bantamweight bout. The judges scored the fight 80-72, 80-73, and 79-73. McCann controlled the action from the opening bell with steady pressure, a high work rate, and combinations to the head and body. Doligala remained durable but spent much of the contest moving backward and struggling to establish her offense. The accumulated punches left Doligala with swelling beneath one eye and blood on her vest by the later rounds. McCann completed the eight-round distance comfortably and earned her fifth win since leaving mixed martial arts for professional boxing.
Super bantamweight Joe McGrail (14-0, 7 KOs) stopped Matthew Boreland (7-1) with a left hook to the body in the fifth round of a 10-round scheduled bout. The win earned McGrail the vacant WBA Continental Gold title. Boreland fought competitively from the opening bell and began building momentum as the rounds progressed. McGrail remained composed, worked to the body, and found the decisive opening late in the fifth. His sharp left hook dropped Boreland, who remained down for the referee’s full count. The stoppage gave the 23-year-old Liverpool southpaw his seventh knockout and handed Boreland his first professional defeat.
Paddy Gallagher (17-6-1 entering) was initially announced as the majority decision winner over Paul Ryan (11-2 entering) after six competitive middleweight rounds. The score was given as 58-55 for Gallagher, but later reports stated that the referee’s card had been read incorrectly. The actual score was reported as 58-56 for Ryan, leaving the announced result subject to an official correction. Gallagher applied steady pressure and used his experience to force exchanges throughout the fight. The taller Ryan worked from his southpaw stance, boxing at range and looking to counter the advancing Belfast veteran. There were no knockdowns, and the result remained in question while the fighters’ official records were being updated.
Bobbi Flood (4-0, 2 KOs) defeated Jack Swallow (4-14-1) by unanimous decision over four rounds in a junior middleweight fight. The referee scored the contest 40-36, giving Flood every round. The 21-year-old Dublin native controlled the action from the opening bell with his cleaner and more consistent punching. Flood used his amateur experience to outbox Swallow, who remained durable but offered little effective offense. No knockdowns occurred as Flood continued piling up points without placing himself in unnecessary exchanges. The Croke Park crowd supported the local prospect throughout his comfortable points win.
Heavyweight prospect Adam Olaniyan (4-0, 4 KOs) overwhelmed Matej Hudak (6-3, 6 KOs) for a first-round stoppage on the preliminary card. The aggressive 20-year-old immediately closed the distance, established his jab, and hurt the much heavier Hudak with combinations upstairs.
A sustained flurry sent Hudak to a knee as blood flowed from his nose and face. Referee Emile Tiedt stopped the fight after Hudak covered up without returning fire. Eddie Hearn is extremely high on Olaniyan, who has the raw talent and marketability to become Matchroom’s flagship heavyweight after Anthony Joshua retires.
Taylor vs Pili Start Time and Streaming
Main card: 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT
Main event ring walks: Approximately 5:08 p.m. ET / 2:08 p.m. PT
Streaming: DAZN
Irish television: RTÉ
Location: Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
Taylor-Pili Fight Card
Katie Taylor vs. Flora Pili, undisputed light welterweight championship
Dave Allen vs. Thomas Carty, heavyweight
Paddy Donovan vs. Tyrone McKenna, welterweight
Taylor Bevan vs. Emmet Brennan, super middleweight
Live Results
Katie Taylor vs. Flora Pili:
Dave Allen vs. Thomas Carty:
Paddy Donovan vs. Tyrone McKenna:
Taylor Bevan vs. Emmet Brennan:
The main-card times and projected ring walks are confirmed by DAZN.
Katie Taylor vs Flora Pili: Croke Park Undercard Results and Highlights
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