Featured Articles
Errol Spence Jr Breaks Down and Stops Yordenis Ugas in a Texas Firefight

A trio of world welterweight title belts were on the line tonight at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, where Errol Spence Jr clashed with Yordenis Ugas in the featured bout of an 11-fight card. Spence vs. Ugas and three other bouts were bundled into the pay-per-view portion.
Ugas, the 35-year-old Cuban defector who has been training in Las Vegas under Ismael Salas, entered the bout in excellent form. He had won 12 of his last 13 with the only setback inside this window a controversial, split decision to Shawn Porter. Spence was undefeated (27-0, 21 KOs heading in), but this was only his third fight in the last 31 months during which he suffered facial injuries in a bad car accident and had surgery for a detached retina. But Spence, 32, dispelled any thoughts that his best days were behind him with a very strong performance that culminated with him winning on a 10th-round stoppage.
Ugas (27-5) was competitive through the first half of the fight. He rocked Spence in the sixth frame with a right hand that knocked out Spenceās mouthpiece. However, Spence returned the favor in the following round, rocking Ugas, and assumed control as the swelling over the Cubanās right eye became progressively worse. The eye eventually swelled shut and controversial referee Laurence Cole waived the fight off near the midway point of the 10th after consulting with the ring physician. The official time was 1:44.
Spence, who resides in a Dallas suburb, had the fans in his corner. The announced attendance was 39,946.
If the fans have their way, Spenceās next fight will come against fellow unbeaten Terence Crawford. If that long-simmering match does indeed come next, it will be a blockbuster — the biggest welterweight title fight since the first meeting between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns in 1981.
The Other Pay-Per-View Fights
Mexico City lightweight Isaac Cruz was rewarded for his competitive showing against Gervonta āTankā Davis, a fight he took on one month notice, by getting second billing on this show. He was pit against 2004 Olympic gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa who at age 40 has seen better days and looked older than his years tonight.
Cruz (23-2-1, 16 KOs) rocked him in the opening minute of the fight and had him on the canvas four times before referee Mark Calo-oy, who should have been quicker on the trigger, finally pulled the plug at the 1:32 mark of round five. It was the third straight loss for Gamboa (30-5).
Jose Valenzuela, a 22-year-old lightweight from Seattle by way of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, stole the show with a brutal one-punch knockout of Mexico City warhorse Francisco āEl Bandidoā Vargas, a former WBC 130-pound world title-holder. Valenzuela, who improved to 12-0 (8) knocked Vargas flat on his back with a left hook and the referee didnāt bother to count. It was all over in 85 seconds.
This may be the end of the line for Vargas (27-4-2) who has always been a willing mixer with the result that he has taken a lot of damage. Valenzuela is trained by Jose Benavidez Sr.
In the ppv opener, 29-year-old southpaw Cody Crowley, who hails from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada but has been living and training in Las Vegas, showed that his upset of previously undefeated Kudratillo Abdukakhorov was no fluke with a wide decision over 19-year veteran Josesito Lopez (38-9) in a welterweight contest slated for 10.
Lopez had a few good moments early, notably in the third round, but was repeatedly beaten to the punch by Crowley who was credited with a knockdown in round seven that was something of a slip. Lopezās trainer and chief cornerman Robert Garcia wanted to pull him out after the eighth, but Lopez balked and was allowed to press on until the final bell. The judges had it 99-90 and 98-91 twice.
Other Bouts of Note
In a 12-round welterweight contest for one of the various WBA title belts, Eimantas Stanionis outpointed Radzhab Butaev, winning a split decision that should have been unanimous. In winning, Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs) avenged two losses to Butaev during his days as a young amateur.
This was a āpick-āemā fight that was a solid scrap but didnāt quite live up to its expectations. Stanionis, a 2016 Olympian for Lithuania, faded a bit late but there was little doubt about the outcome after Butaev (14-1) was deducted a point in round 11 for punching down at Stanionis after he was instructed to break. The judges had it 117-110, 116-111, and a curious 113-114.
It was the first pro loss for Butaev (an earlier defeat was changed to a no-contest when his opponent failed his post-fight drug test) who was coming off his career-best win, a ninth-round stoppage of favored Jamal James.
Twenty-two-year-old welterweight Brandun Lee, born to a Korean father and a Mexican mother in the California desert town of La Quinta, saw his knockout streak end at 15, but kept his undefeated record intact with a clear-cut 10-round decision over Brooklynās Zachary Ochoa. Lee (25-0, 22 KOs) pressed the action and prevailed by scores of 98-92 and 99-91 twice. Ochoa entered the contest with a record of 21-2.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury on Feb. 26 in a Potential Pay-Per-View Blockbuster

Itās now official. The twice-postponed āgrudge matchā between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will come to fruition on Sunday, Feb. 26, at Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. An 8-rounder contested at a catch-weight of 185 pounds, the match and several supporting bouts will air in the U.S. on ESPN+ PPV at a cost of $49.99.
The hook for this promotion ā a come-hither that will be hammered home incessantly in the coming weeks – is that Jake Paul will finally touch gloves with a legitimate professional boxer. Paulās previous opponents were a fellow YouTube influencer (AnEsonGib), a retired NBA player (Nate Robinson), and three former MMA champions: Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and Anderson Silva. He fought Woodley twice.
Tommy Fury, the half-brother of reigning WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, made his pro debut in December of 2018 in a four-round bout in his hometown of Manchester. He was two fights into his pro career when he became a contestant on the TV reality show āLove Island.ā An enormously popular show in Great Britain, especially among the coveted 18-34 demographic, āLove Islandā was in its fifth season.
Fury was paired with supermodel Molly-Mae Hague with whom he finished second. They developed a great chemistry, on and off the set, became engaged, and purportedly welcomed a baby girl this week.
What about Tommy Fury the boxer? How legitimate is he?
Furyās record currently stands at 8-0 (4 KOs). His first opponent was a professional loser from Latvia whose current ledger reads 10-113-3. His next six opponents were a combined 4-73-2. Finally, in his last fight, which occurred in April of last year, he met an opponent with a good record, Polandās Daniel Bocianski, who was 10-1. But look closer and one discovers that all but one of Bocianskiās 10 triumphs came against opponents with losing records. The exception was a 6-round decision over a fellow Pole whose record currently stands at 18-16-1 and who has been stopped 13 times.
Fury bloodied Bocianski and won a wide 6-round decision, but his performance was underwhelming. āFury had the Hollywood teeth, tan, and diamante-colored shorts,ā wrote Chasinga Malata of the London Sun, āleaving only his performance without sheen and sparkle.ā
There is nothing in Tommy Furyās background, aside from his biological pedigree, to suggest that he has the tools to become a world-class boxer. If he were a member of the Three Stooges, he would be Shemp.
Jake Paul, by contrast, may actually be legit. Those in the know that have watched him train have come away impressed. It says here that Paul isnāt moving up in class on Feb. 26; itās the other way around.
In the co-feature, Ilunga Makabu (29-2, 25 KOs) will make the third defense of his WBC world cruiserweight title against Badou Jack (27-3-3, 16 KOs). A Congolese-South African, Makabu is the older brother of heavyweight contender Martin Bakole. Jack, four years older than Makabu at age 39, formerly held world titles at 168 and 175 pounds.
Although Badou Jack was born in Sweden and keeps a home in Las Vegas where he has long been affiliated with the Mayweather Boxing Club, he will have the home field advantage in Saudi Arabia where he has cultivated a loyal following. A devout Muslim, Jack will be making his fourth straight start in the Persian Gulf Region. In his last outing, he outpointed Richard āPopeyeā Rivera at Jeddah, winning a 10-round split decision.

Badou Jack
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Avila Perspective, Chap. 223: A Lively Weekend in SoCal with Three Fight Cards in Two Days

Avila Perspective, Chap. 223: A Lively Weekend in SoCal with Three Fight Cards in Two Days
Big money prizefighting returns to the Los Angeles area with back-to-back shows. First, Serhii Bohachuk heads a 360 Promotions card on Friday and then Alexis Rocha is featured on Saturday in a Golden Boy Promotions production. And on the same day Riversideās Saul Rodriguez fights in his hometown.
Bohachuk, Rocha, and Rodriguez are aggressive big hitters.
Ukraineās Bohachuk seeks to regain footing in the super welterweight division. He was rapidly climbing up the ratings ladder when first he was defeated by Brandon Adams two years ago. And then the invasion of his home country Ukraine stalled him even more.
On Friday Jan. 27, at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello, Calif. Bohachuk (21-1, 21 KOs) meets Nathaniel Gallimore (22-6-1, 17 KOs) in the main event. UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Boxing Promotions card.
Few fighters are as well-liked outside of the prize ring as Bohachuk. Always amiable, heās one of the handful of fighters that always smiles. Inside the ring, heās a killer. No one leaves without someone getting knocked out.
Gallimore, 34, is no slouch. He has a knockout win over former world titlist Jeison Rosario and has battled almost all of the top super welterweights. He is a veteran and very crafty.
The Quiet Cannon venue is not very large, but it does have a patio and good food and drink. Most of the crowd ventures from all over Southern California to attend the fights at that venue. It gets packed.
Golden Boy in Inglewood
Welterweight contender Alexis Rocha headlines the Golden Boy Promotions card on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the brand new YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif. DAZN will stream the fight card.
Rocha (21-1, 13 KOs) faces George Ashie (33-5-1) in the main event set for 12 rounds. Finally, there is an opponent for the left-handed fighter from Santa Ana. It didnāt look like he was going to fight after opponent after opponent fell out for one reason or another.
āYou have to be ready for anybody they put in front of you. If itās you or George Ashie, I have to prepare for it. I have to focus on what I can do,” said Rocha.
Others on the card include super middleweight Bektemir Melikuziev (10-1) vs Ulises Sierra (17-2-2) set for 10 rounds. Also, good looking lightweight prospect Floyd Schofield (12-0, 10 KOs) meets Alberto Mercado (17-4-1).
Schofield fights out of Austin, Texas and looks like someone to watch.
Doors open at 3 p.m.
Neno Returns in San Bernardino Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Garcia Promotions stages a boxing card on Saturday Jan. 28, at the Club Event Center in San Bernardino. Garcia Promotions is associated with trainer Robert Garcia and family whose training compound is located in nearby Riverside.
A primarily local fight card featuring all fighters from Garciaās gym will be performing.
Headlining is Saul āNenoā Rodriguez out of Riverside, California.
Itās been nearly three years since Rodriguez (24-1-1, 18 KOs) last fought and he faces Mexicoās Juan Meza Angulo (6-1, 3 KOs) in the co-main event.
At one time Rodriguez was a big fan favorite because of his fast work and knockout ability. Once he got to the top plateau he ran into another knockout puncher in Miguel Angel Gonzalez and lost by stoppage.
Prizefighting is a tricky road. One loss can mean difficulty in finding a big-time promoter or it can mean discovering what you need to do to re-establish your skills. A fighter can go the road of Kermit āThe Killerā Cintron and find out other ways to win without a kill-or be-killed style. Or they can travel the road of Marco Antonio Barrera who was knocked out by Junior Jones but adapted a more boxer-puncher style that allowed him to defeat Erik Morales twice and Prince Naseem Hamed.
Rodriguez, 29, still has time to make a good run for a title bid. It all starts on Saturday.
Others on the Garcia Promotions card are fighters who are part of trainer Garciaās stable including Gabriel Muratalla, Leonardo Ruiz, Jose Rodriguez and others.
Doors open at 4 p.m. with amateurs opening the boxing program.
Fights to Watch
Fri. UFC Fight Pass 7 p.m. Serhii Bohachuk (21-1) vs Nathaniel Gallimore (22-6-1).
Sat. ESPN+ 11:30 a.m. Artur Beterbiev (18-0) vs Anthony Yarde (23-2).
Sat. DAZN Ā 5 p.m. Alexis Rocha (21-1) vs George Ashie (33-5-1).
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Artur Beterbiev:Ā āIād prefer to fight Bivol because he has the one thing I needā

Russian Artur Beterbiev, triple champion of the 175-pound division, is the only current world champion who, thanks to the enormous power he wields in his fists, has won all his fights inside the distance.
Beterbiev has 18 victories by way of chloroform since he debuted as a professional fighter in June 2013 when he anesthetized retired American, Christian Cruz, in the tenth round at the Bell Center in Montreal where Beterbiev currently resides.
Beterbiev, who turned thirty-eight last Saturday, will defend his WBC, IBF, and WBO titles against Brit Anthony “The Beast from the East” Yarde (23-2, 22 KOs) on Saturday, January 28th at the OVO Arena in London.
Beterbiev obtained the WBO belt on June 18th this past year when he defeated American Joe Smith (28-4, 22 KOs) in the second round at Madison Square Garden. This was Smithās second defense of the belt.
Earlier, in November 2017, Beterbiev won the vacant IBF belt after defeating German Enrico Koelling (28-5, 9 KOs) by knockout in the twelfth round in Fresno, California.
Two years later, Beterbiev seized the WBC belt from Ukrainian Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-1, 14 KOs) in Philadelphia. Three knockdowns in the tenth round forced referee Gary Rosato to stop the lopsided bout with 11 seconds remaining in the round.Ā Beterbiev maintains that although his intention is to win each fight, in no way does he want to harm his rival and that his greatest wish is for both of them to leave the ring healthy.
Referring to his upcoming matchup, Beterbiev told BoxingScene that “after the fight, I just hope he (Yarde) is okay.”
He acknowledged that he does not know much about the British boxer, although he has watched several of his fights: āHeās a good fighter, has good experience as a professional and heās a boxer. Heās dangerous so I have to prepare for this fight like I always do.ā
Beterbiev said that his main motivation is to successfully defend the three belts he owns and that is why he will try to be one hundred percent ready and then it will be evident who is the better fighter.
Regarding his knockout streak, Beterbiev emphatically denied that he enjoys knocking out his opponents: āNo. Thereās no pleasure in it. I just hope everything is OK with them. I just want to do good boxing, not hit people.ā
Beterbiev smiles enigmatically and stares at the horizon when they ask him to what he attributes the strength of his fists to. āI know for sure, 1000 percent, that the secret to my power is somewhere in my boxing gym but I donāt know exactly where,ā he adds. āI donāt know which exercise or bag gave me this secret. I donāt know where it comes from. I wasnāt always like this either, it has come from working every day. But really my dream is to be a good boxer one day.ā
Aside from the upcoming fight with Yarde, Beterbiev acknowledges in each interview that his goal is to be the undisputed champion of the division, which means facing (and defeating) the undefeated Russian Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs), who holds the WBA light heavyweight super championship belt.
āI need Bivol,ā Beterbiev admits. āIād prefer to fight Bivol because he has the one thing I need. I hope I fight him in 2023 but the hold-up is not from my side, itās from their side. In the last three years he always says he will fight me next but in this time weāve done unification fights against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Joe Smith. Weāve done that whereas he has just been talking about it.
Beterbiev recalled that he was with Bivol on the Russian national team where they were amateurs. āI knew him then, but he is younger than me. We havenāt talked for 10 years now. He was 75kg back then, too small for me. We were never friends.ā
Article submitted by Jorge Juan Alvarez in Spanish.
Ā Please note any adjustments made were for clarification purposes and any errors in translation were unintentional.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
-
Featured Articles4 days ago
Boxing Odds and Ends: A New Foe for Broner and an Intriguing Heavyweight Match-up
-
Featured Articles1 week ago
Jermaine Franklin and Otto Wallin; Losing Can Be Winning, or Not
-
Featured Articles7 days ago
A Shocker in Manchester: Liam Smith Stops Chris Eubank Jr in Four
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Anthony Yarde: āI am at my best when I fight fire with fire.ā
-
Featured Articles3 days ago
Artur Beterbiev:Ā āIād prefer to fight Bivol because he has the one thing I needā
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Avila Perspective, Chap 218: Looking for Mr. Good Year
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2022 Boxing Obituaries PART TWO (July-Dec.)
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2022 Boxing Obituaries PART ONE (Jan.-June)