Results
Vergil Ortiz Jr vs. Michael McKinson
Vergil Ortiz Jr. continued his 100% knockout streak and on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas, he clinched his welterweight world title fight by knocking out Michael McKinson in the ninth round.
Ortiz Jr (19-0, 19 KO) made the decisive breakthrough in the eighth round, defeating previously undefeated McKinson (22-1, 2 KO) with a brutal body shot.
Although the Briton survived the round, another body blow in the ninth throw knocked him to the ground again and despite valiantly beating the count, the Briton’s rousing challenge came to an end moments later as his father and coach had a towel in hand, calling for a halt to the contest.
Both welterweight pairs were undefeated heading into their clash at Dickies Arena and five months after they were first set to fight, with Ortiz Jr pulling out of fight week due to illness.
McKinson defeated replacement Alex Martin on points to take the biggest step forward in his career to date.
The American showed no signs of resting in the ring despite a year off since his last fight, an eighth-round victory over Egidijus Kavaliauskas, and looked to consolidate his position in a dominant opener, landing a flurry of punches and giving his opponent a reminder of his devastating power.
However, the 24-year-old returned to the corner with blood streaming down the left side of his face after suffering a nasty cut following an accidental head collision.
McKinson, who was expected to cause problems for the home favorites with his deft style of play, had a better second round and managed to limit Ortiz’s success.
The Texan was in near-complete control by the middle of the match, though, constantly firing to the body to snail-paced McKinson and alternating his attacks up top, although the guy’s chin held up under relentless attack.
RESPECT between these two warriors after a tough fought war by both.#OrtizMcKinson pic.twitter.com/bxJdL4jTGb
— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) August 7, 2022
The visitors struggled to make any real impact on Ortiz Jr., although he began to establish himself in the seventh round and was causing his opponent to miss more often than many before, with his elusive moves causing problems.
However, Ortiz Jr.’s pressure was unrelenting and it was noticeable in the eighth round.
A wicked body threw McKinson to the canvas for the first time in his career.
The 28-year-old southpaw got up and circled Ortiz Jr, signaling the end of the round.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. knocks down Michael McKinson with a perfectly placed body shot 👊#OrtizMcKinson pic.twitter.com/GHcfqxv3k7
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 7, 2022
Ortiz Jr, who was in unfamiliar territory after eight rounds, first threw himself at his opponent early in the ninth, and with McKinson still clearly feeling the effects of the knockdown, another body shot ripped through him and dropped him.
His race appeared to be over and as Ortiz Jr applied the pressure, McKinson’s father and trainer, Michael Ballingall, had the towel in hand and the fight was over, with the Portsmouth fighter wincing in pain from what appeared to be a hip injury.
The fight was a WBA world title eliminator, and Ortiz Jr was the number one contender behind “super” champion Errol Spence Jr and “regular” titleholder Eimantas Stanionis.
Ortiz Jr was asked after the fight about fighting WBO holder Terence Crawford, who was watching from ringside, although a fight between Spence and Crawford seems unlikely considering the pair are in negotiations to fight in a highly anticipated undisputed title fight later . year.
“He’s a little tied up right now” Ortiz Jr. he told DAZN’s Chris Mannix.
“But if the opportunity arises, I will be more than content to fight him.”
In McKinson’s case, his stock will only rise in defeat. “The Problem” put in a solid performance on the biggest stage of his career so far against a world-class cameraman who has come further in the pro game than he’s ever come before.
The Esparza flows from Guzman
Marlen Esparza defended her WBC and WBA flyweight world titles by unanimous decision against Eva Guzman.
In an action-packed match, Guzman (19-2-1, 11 KO) put on a rousing display and had some inspiring moments, although the cleaner and more consistent shots came from the unified champion.
These two are moving forward 🧨#OrtizMcKinson pic.twitter.com/o5LktNuC9y
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 7, 2022
Esparza (13-1, 1 KO) secured a clear victory, as reflected in two scores of 98-92 and another of 99-91.
Cobbs too robust for Hooker
Blair Cobbs returned to his winning ways, dropping Maurice Hooker three times en route to a well-deserved unanimous decision victory.
Cobbs, who recovered from a knockout loss to Alexis Rocha in March, looked the sharper of the two from the very beginning and defeated Hooker (27-3-3, 18 KO) in the first round.
An uppercut followed by a right jab from above left the hometown man shaking on his legs, and a follow-up attack dropped him on the seat of his pants.
THREE GOOD LUCK IN TWO ROUNDS FOR BLAIR COBBS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HYoOzDIVx6
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 7, 2022
Cobbs (16-1-1, 10 KO) upped the ante even further in the second round, and in his most dominant round, he dropped Hooker twice with straight left hands.
Hooker, fighting for the first time since a seventh-round knockout loss to Ortiz in March 2021, was urged to boost his performance by trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre and Crawford, but was unable to significantly disrupt “The Flair,” who boxed his way to victory in the final few rounds after suffering a nasty cut following an accidental head collision in the sixth round.
Two scores of 97-90 and another of 96-91 confirmed Cobbs’ victory.
Melikuziev overtook Janjanin
Bektemir Melikuziev continued his career resurgence after stopping the underdog Slandan Janjanin in three rounds.
Melikuziew (10-1, 8 KO) outweighed Janjanin (32-12, 24 KO) in the first 30 seconds of the fight, defeating the Bosnian with a vicious body shot.
After 3 knockdowns of Melikuziew, the referee ends this one 😤#OrtizMcKinson pic.twitter.com/I5tYT0EccE
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 7, 2022
The 2016 Olympic silver medalist dished out more punishment in the second round, with the 31-year-old knocking down with a pair of hooks.
The end seemed inevitable and Janjanin bravely rose from the canvas after taking another brutal shot in the third round, referee Neal Juvenile stepped in.
Melikuziev is currently undefeated in three fights since his only professional loss to Gabe Rosado.
Remaining Undercard
The aforementioned Alex Martin (18-4, 6 KO) bounced back from a loss to McKinson in his last fight and rose to the top, defeating veteran operator Hank Lundy (31-11-1, 14 KO) with a dominant performance in the super lightweight match.
The 33-year-old was forced to get up from the floor in the first round, but he won with scores of 97-92 (x2) and 98-91.
Elsewhere, Floyd Schofield (11-0, 9 KOs) extended his undefeated lightweight record with a fifth-round stoppage of retired Rodrigo Guerrero (26-15-2, 16 KOs).
In the other two super lightweight fights, Rohan Polanco (8-0, 5 KOs) knocked out Dedrick Bell (31-33-1, 17 KOs) in the second round, while Carlos Nava (9-0, 6 KOs) stopped Rodolfo Hernandez Montoya (30-11-1, 28 KOs) in the fourth.
Figo Ramirez Gonzalez (2-0, 1 KO) picked up his second professional victory, defeating Francisco Bonilla Zambrano (6-14-3, 3 KO) by unanimous decision.
David Benavidez gave some harsh advice to Mike Tyson following his loss to Jake Paul last weekend.
Benavidez was one of millions of people around the world who witnessed Paul comfortably defeat an extremely faded Tyson to score wide unanimous decision victory.
At 58 years antique, “Iron Mike” looked like a shell of the man who ruled the heavyweight division in his prime, and some observers even believe he was carried by the YouTuber and could have been stopped at any time.
Despite the fact that the two only competed for two minutes, the fight was fully sanctioned and will go down in their records.
It was Tyson’s first professional fight since his loss to Kevin McBride in 2005, Benavidez said. Fighting Hub TV this should be his last.
“He needs to retire.”
Offering further analysis, “The Mexican Monster” explained that he was simply relieved to see the former heavyweight king leave the ring unscathed.
“It was a good fight and a good turnout, but I don’t want to see Mike Tyson fight again. Let’s hope he says it.
“𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐰 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 😕
Jake Paul admits he stopped Mike Tyson last night.#PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/yIDrNf138b
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) November 16, 2024
“It was a good performance, Mike Tyson won there and earned well, and he deserves it. I’m just content he didn’t get injured there.
“Mike Tyson is Mike Tyson, but 60-year-old Mike Tyson is different.”
In a post-fight interview, Tyson seemed interested in fighting Jake’s brother, Logan, but has since insisted on social media that he will not return to the ring.
The series has reportedly attracted approximately 108 million viewers on Netflix, making it by far the most-watched boxing event in recent memory.
Tyson grossed an estimated $20 million, while “The Problem Child” is believed to have grossed about twice that amount.
Benavidez spoke at the press conference kicking off his Feb. 1 fight with David Morrell, which is widely considered to be one of the toughest of his career.
‼️ David Benavidez and David Morrell hot up and exchange words during their first fight before February 1…
[🎥 @PremierBoxing] pic.twitter.com/LZtU32nZ9Q
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBenson) November 19, 2024
The pair will face each other at T-Mobile Arena on Amazon Prime pay-per-view, with the winner all but guaranteed a shot at the delicate heavyweight world title.
After defeating Mike Tyson last weekend, Jake Paul once again expressed his desire to face UFC star Conor McGregor – only this time in an unusual style.
Paul threw plenty of taunts at McGregor in hopes of luring him into the ring, although the Irishman was largely reluctant to engage in any discussion.
“The Problem Child” faced widespread criticism after the fight against Tyson, who at 58 looked like a shell of his former self.
Even though the main event wasn’t much of a competition, it was a show it reportedly attracted 60 million viewers north on the streaming giant Netflix’s platform, making it by far the most watched boxing event in recent times.
Paul seems to have a penchant for large names now and took to Twitter to try and get McGregor to fight MMA.
“Dear Conor, I know you told my team you would fight me at 170 pounds. This never happens.
“But let’s do it in MMA. No weight category. Just like it used to be done. But you won’t.
Dear Conor, I know you told my team you would fight me at 170 pounds. This never happens. But let’s do it in MMA. No weight category. Just like it used to be done. But you won’t
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 16, 2024
‘The Notorious’ quickly responded by writing the following (now deleted) tweet, accompanied by a photo of 82-year-old US politician Mitch McConnell.
“Nakisa has already judged me, boy, this guy will be next after you. Good luck, buddy.
Paul McGregor fighting in the ring would not only be a test of skill, but also of ego. While McGregor has plenty of experience, Paul’s speed, size and unconventional approach to boxing could create an unpredictable outcome.
However, the Dubliner would be a huge favorite if they managed to get a fight inside the Octagon, even though Paul was younger and bigger.
Regardless of who wins, the fight will be a monumental payday for both fighters, and the fight will almost certainly be one of the most entertaining ever.
This Saturday, Latino Night will take place in Riyad, and the main event will be the fight for the WBA cruiserweight title from Mexico, Gilberto Ramirez, against the head of the WBO, Chris Billam-Smith.
DAZN is broadcasting the Ramirez vs Billam-Smith fight live.
Despite great potential and a reign as the WBO super middleweight champion, Ramirez (46-1, 30 KO) has largely won against an unnamed opponent.
He ultimately lost the team’s undefeated record in November 2022. clearly defeated by Dmitry Bivol in the fight for the WBA (Super) featherlight heavyweight title.
The move to the cruiserweight division saw some of his best performances, and a wide-scoring victory over Joe Smith Jr paved the way for a world title fight in which he won the WBA belt by defeating Arsen Goulamirian ten rounds to two in March.
After a career-opening loss to Richard Riakporhe, Billam-Smith (20-1, 13 KO) rose through the ranks, eventually winning the WBO belt with a majority decision victory over Lawrence Okolie, with Okolie losing a total of three times.
The Bournemouth man then forced Mateusz Masternak to retire after eight rounds, with Billam-Smith trailing on two scorecards, and last defended in June, taking revenge on Riakporhe by scoring points at Selhurst Park.
Prediction: Ramirez is always huge no matter what weight he fights at, and will be the biggest test of Billam-Smith’s career. I think this may be a bridge too far for the Englishman and Ramirez may score in the later rounds.
Chris Billam-Smith is confident he will get the job done on Saturday 😤#RiyadSeason | #LatinNight | Live November 16 | FREE on DAZN | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/ZOY1wHshgj
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) November 12, 2024
Ramirez and Barboza go to war
A massive clash with world title implications awaits us at the last minute as former unified super lightweight world champion Jose Carlos Ramirez (29-1, 18 KO) meets Arnold Barboza Jr (30-0, 11 KO) within twelve rounds.
Since his only loss to Josh Taylor to clear the division in 2021, Ramirez has fought once a year, defeating Jose Pedraza (UD12), Richard Commey (KO11) and Rances Barthelemy (UD12) to be the number one contender for the WBC title.
Barboza is long undefeated and has boxed twice in 2024, which included an eighth-round retirement victory over Xolisani Ndongeni, followed by a split decision victory over Sean McComb last time out. This is his first scheduled appearance in twelve innings, after eight innings played in ten innings.
Prediction: I’m leaning towards the more experienced Ramirez who will get the job done on points.
There is no better place than the season in Riyad #LatinNight for the fight he’s been waiting for‼️ Jose Ramirez 🆚 Arnold Barboza Jr. it will be totally 𝐖 𝐀 𝐑 ⚔️#LatinNight | #RiyadSeason | LIVE November 16 | FREE on DAZN pic.twitter.com/6njPFoF05D
— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) November 13, 2024
The farmer has everything to do with Zepeda
The WBC interim lightweight title is up for grabs and the talented William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KO) will face Tevin Farmer (33-6-1, 8 KO).
Zepeda is worth watching, as he has been at a championship level in his last five fights. All of his last four fights ended early, and after forcing Maxie Hughes to retire after four rounds in March, he knocked out Giovanni Cabrera in three in July.
Former IBF featherweight champion Farmer is coming off a hard-fought points loss to Raymond Muratalla. Zepeda should be too heated for Farmer here and could win early.
Minimum weight world champion titles up for grabs
The next fight for the world title will take place in the minimum weight class, where Oscar Collazo (10-0, 7 KO) should defend the WBO belt for the fourth time by defeating Thammanoon Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KO).
The return of Duarte and Ziyad
Oscar Duarte (27-2-1, 22 KO) can ensure his twelve-round super lightweight fighter scores points against Botirzhon Akhmedov (10-3, 9 KO), and welterweight contender Ziyad Almaayouf (6-0, 1 KO) should win at this gala. cards over six against Juan Carlos Ramirez Garcia (5-6, 0 KO).
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