Andres Cortes and Mark Magsayo each claimed spectacular victories at Zuffa Boxing 05 in Las Vegas to arrange a attainable future conflict between the light-weight contenders.
Cortes maintained his unbeaten document with a factors victory over Eridson Garcia in the principle occasion, whereas former featherweight world champion Magsayo introduced himself as a title menace in his new weight class with a knockout victory over Feargal McCrory.
The evening additionally noticed an enormous upset as Tony Hirsch Jr scored a shock win over the hotly-tipped Robert Meriwether III, and there was an early contender for Zuffa Boxing knockout of the yr, courtesy of featherweight Alexis De la Cerda.
Las Vegas native Cortes claimed a dominant resolution victory in his hometown as he defeated Dominican contender Garcia over 10 rounds.
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Mark Magsayo confirmed his class in his first battle at light-weight as he stopped the courageous problem of Feargal McCrory within the fifth spherical.
Cortes saved Garcia guessing early by staying at vary, then blitzing in with two or three-punch mixtures, earlier than sliding again out of vary to keep away from Garcia’s tried counters.
Cortes’ strategy began to trigger issues for Garcia, who was repeatedly warned for holding by way of Spherical 3, and between spherical referee Thomas Taylor warned his nook {that a} level deduction might comply with if he continues to carry.
Andres Cortes claimed a snug factors victory over Eridson Garcia
And, certain sufficient, in Spherical 4 Garcia was hit with a degree sanction by the official after once more failing to let go on the decision of break. It exacerbated issues for the Dominican fighter, who was already struggling to maintain up together with his undefeated opponent.
From the mid-point of the battle, Cortes switched techniques and opted to shut the gap, and Garcia seemingly had no reply to Cortes at any time when the pair fought on the within, with the Las Vegas native feasting at shut quarters, ripping Garcia to the physique and head. By the top of the seventh spherical, Cortes was exuding the boldness of a person who knew he had his opponent’s quantity.
Cortes prolonged his unbeaten skilled document to 25-0
That did not change by way of the ultimate three rounds, as Cortes comfortably negotiated the ultimate 9 minutes of the battle to say a runaway resolution victory and transfer to 25-0 for his profession.
It additionally places Cortes proper within the combine because the championship image within the Zuffa Boxing light-weight division begins to take form.
Magsayo stops Eire’s McCrory
Within the co-main occasion, former featherweight world champion Magsayo efficiently accomplished his transfer as much as light-weight with a press release end of Eire’s McCrory.
Cheered on by a raucous Filipino following contained in the Meta APEX, Magsayo made certain McCrory tasted his energy early as he cracked the Irishman with two thumping proper arms in the direction of the top of the opening spherical.
Magsayo was touchdown at will towards his Irish opponent
And, whereas McCrory gamely appeared to step into vary to land photographs of his personal, he struggled to attach with something significant early on as Magsayo eased into the competition.
Magsayo continued to look a category above McCrory by way of the second and third rounds, and he got here near stopping the Irishman late within the fourth with a collection of unpolluted, arduous photographs that appeared to rock, however not drop, his man.
And, after McCrory’s nook warned him that they might pull him out of the battle if he continued to take injury, the decision from head coach Colin Morgan got here 21 seconds into the fifth spherical after Magsayo lit up McCrory with extra energy photographs.
Mark Magsayo stopped Eire’s Feargal McCrory
It left Magsayo elated as he celebrated a stoppage victory in his first Zuffa Boxing look, whereas McCrory was clearly gutted at his nook’s resolution to tug him from the battle.
Essentially the most memorable second of the evening got here when featherweight De La Cerda produced a surprising one-punch knockout of Ervin Fuller III.
De La Cerda delivered a sledgehammer of a brief proper hook to ship Fuller to the canvas late within the third spherical.
Elsewhere, Merriweather suffered a shock first defeat of his skilled profession as he misplaced a cut up resolution to Tony Hirsch Jr of their light-weight contest.
