Rafael Espinoza, the undefeated WBO featherweight champion, showcased his dominance in a voluntary defense of his title against Sergio Chirino. The fight took place at the BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, where Espinoza made it look easy by obliterating Chirino with a fourth-round knockout. The tall and stork-like Espinoza caught an overly aggressive Chirino with a short left uppercut in the first round, sending him to the canvas. In the third round, Espinoza delivered a powerful right-hand body shot that once again put Chirino down. The final knockdown came in the fourth round, as Espinoza unleashed a series of uppercuts that forced the referee to stop the fight at 2:45 of the fourth round.
In the chief support bout, super featherweight Andres Cortes faced Abraham Nova in a ten-round unanimous decision that sparked controversy. Despite appearing out of shape, Cortes was awarded the victory, much to the dismay of onlookers who witnessed Nova’s dominating performance. Nova, who started slow in the first three rounds, picked up the pace starting from the fourth round, pressuring Cortes and throwing twice as many punches. The judges’ scorecards read 97-93, 97-93, 96-94 in favor of Cortes, although many believed Nova deserved the win.
Middleweight Troy Isley squared off against Javier Martinez in a 10-round battle filled with low blows from both fighters. Despite the questionable tactics, Isley managed to secure a victory with the judges scoring the fight 97-91, 97-91, 96-92 in his favor. The fight saw Martinez losing a point in the seventh round, while Isley was docked a point in the ninth round. While neither fighter looked particularly impressive, Isley’s performance was deemed slightly better than Martinez’s.
Undefeated bantamweight Floyd “Cash Flow” Diaz faced journeyman Francisco Pedroza in an unexpectedly tough fight that went the distance. Diaz had to battle hard to secure a victory, with the judges scoring the contest 78-73 3, 78-73, and 78-73 in favor of Diaz. Both fighters displayed resilience and determination throughout the fight, with each of them getting hurt at different points in the contest.
The night of explosive fights showcased the resilience, determination, and skill of the fighters involved. While some victories were met with controversy, others were clear displays of dominance. Each fighter showed their tenacity and willingness to push through challenges, making for an entertaining and action-packed event for boxing fans around the world.