Maxi Hughes recently opened up about his fourth-round TKO loss to William Zepeda, admitting that it wasn’t the headshots that did the most damage. In fact, Hughes stated that it was the relentless barrage of body shots and nonstop punches that ultimately drained his energy and led to his defeat in their IBF/WBA lightweight title eliminator at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Contrary to popular belief, Hughes claimed that Zepeda’s power was not extraordinary, and he had faced harder punchers in his career. It was the sheer volume of punches thrown by Zepeda that proved to be the unexpected killer in their matchup.
Despite the outcome of the fight, Hughes emphasized that Zepeda is not known for his one-punch knockout power. Instead, he described the Mexican fighter as someone who throws a high volume of punches and possesses enough power to pose a serious threat. Zepeda’s lackluster defense and vulnerability to punches from non-punchers have been highlighted in the past, but it was his relentless aggression and strategic targeting of Hughes’ body that ultimately turned the tide in their bout.
Reflecting on his loss, Hughes acknowledged the effectiveness of Zepeda’s body shots and admitted that one particularly well-placed blow to his solar plexus had a significant impact on his ability to continue fighting. Despite his best efforts to respond with his own offense, Hughes found himself drained and lacking the necessary energy to mount a comeback. He commended his team for their decision to stop the fight, recognizing that he was struggling in the ring and that his opponent had effectively neutralized his strengths.
Maxi Hughes’ candid assessment of his defeat to William Zepeda sheds light on the importance of body shots and volume punching in the sport of boxing. While knockout power often steals the spotlight, it was Zepeda’s strategic onslaught of strikes to Hughes’ body that proved to be the deciding factor in their matchup. As Hughes continues to reflect on his performance and learn from this experience, fans can expect to see a motivated and determined fighter making a comeback in the ring.