Dakota Ringer (14-7-3, 10 KOs) defeated Kurt Scobee (13-1, 11 KOs) in the junior welterweight main event of Friday's card at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. Won his previous bout with a shocking 6th round stoppage. The undefeated fighter suffered his first loss.
Scobey, a 28-year-old Californian, started brightly and boxed well in places, but ultimately crumbled under a barrage of chaotic power shots from Ringer.
In the first round, Scobie quickly walked Ringer down, with Ringer's back touching the ropes within 10 seconds of the opening bell. Even if only one decisive blow landed, it mattered – a great right hand from Scobey when Ringer was at the ropes.
Ringer, a 29-year-old from West Virginia, was successful in his second attempt with an inside uppercut and a power shot. Still, Scobee had a clear advantage in speed and found opportunities to throw in sharp counters during Ringer's relatively wild swings.
Ringer's high-volume punches continued to be a factor in the third round. The crowd roared as Ringer staggered and marched Scobee with a brutal left-right combination.
Apparently taking a cue from Gustavo Lemos' recent helter-skelter attack on Richardson Hitchens, Ringer poured it on in the fourth, landing an extra power shot. Scobey showed no fear and did not clinch as often as Hitchens, but the punishment seemed to wear him down. By the end of the round, his skillful boxing had faded and he was a static target.
Scobee made a comeback in the fifth round, receiving a few more right hands, but was able to land back in the boxing and movement.
But in the sixth, the avalanche of ringers became irresistible. He caught Scobie with more and more clean shots as the rounds progressed, eventually sending him back to the ropes and applying a barrage of fire. Some may feel that the stoppage was too early, but referee Malik Walid was justified in stopping the fight because Scobey did not throw back.
“After the third round, I felt like I started to take control,” Ringer said on DAZN's post-fight broadcast. “I could see he was starting to wear down and I knew if I just kept putting pressure on him he was going to get tired.”
Ringer praised Scobey's strength and even admitted he was dazed by a few shots from the previously undefeated fighter. The difference in the end is that Ringer never gave up.
Brandon Adams finds beautiful body shot to stop Ismael Villarreal
In the co-main, Brandon Adams (24-3, 16 KOs) stopped Ismael Villarreal (13-3, 9 KOs) with a stunning left body at 2:59 of the third round. The match was the quarterfinals of the OTX 154-pound tournament. Villarreal, who had just suffered a narrow decision loss to Callum Walsh, showed competition from the start, exchanging fierce shots inside. Neither fighter appeared to be hurt by anything the other threw at them. Then Adams' left hand exploded on Villarreal's side and the match was over.
Villarreal tried to stand up, but at the count of 10, the pain hit him and he crouched down again.
It was Adams' first match in three years, but he showed little signs of rust in his fierce battle.
That night, in the other quarterfinal of the OTX 154-pound tournament, Francisco Veron (14-0-1, 10 KOs) defeated Angel Ruiz (18-4-1, 13 KOs) by a wide decision by 100 points. I won. 90, 99-91, 96-94.
Veron's left eye closed rapidly, even as he loaded Lewis against the ropes in the early rounds. Lewis sometimes rocked Veron with his left hand, but Veron poised and came forward for much of the night to bring home a well-deserved decision. Afterwards, the fighters shared a heartwarming hug.
Veron will next face Adams in the tournament semifinals on May 31st.
20-year-old prospect David Lopez (5-0, 4 KOs) knocked out Anthony Mora (3-2-1, 2 KOs) in six rounds at junior welterweight. Lopez landed a jab early and then a combination that was interrupted by a straight left that dropped Mora wide like he was hurting and couldn't get past the count.
Nathan Lugo (1-0, 1 KO) scores his own first-round knockout, stopping Robert Lartigue (1-2, 1 KO) early in a four-fight scheduled super middleweight bout. Ta. At 19 years old, Lugo was much younger than his 33-year-old opponent, but had had a successful career as an amateur. He panicked and sent Lartigue to the canvas in the first minute, then clubbed Lartigue's right hand into the ropes, leaving Lartigue unable to continue.
