Teofimo Lopez defended his WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight world titles with a unanimous decision victory over Canadian contender Steve Clagett on Saturday night in Miami.
Clagett (38-8-2, 6 KOs), riding a nine-fight winning streak, went on a rampage against Lopez from the get-go. The 35-year-old Clagett had Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) backed into the ropes for much of the bout, dodging Takeover's shoulder-roll defense and landing short punches.
Lopez used his head movement to deflect many shots at close range but was better on the outside, and the 26-year-old moved frequently to keep his distance and string together quick combinations around Claggett's high guard, including a flurry that plagued him in the eighth round.
Clagett was always aggressive, but Lopez's athleticism prevented him from making any notable attacks.
Lopez retained his title by scores of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109.
“I knew exactly what kind of fighter he was, I knew he would come forward and test my conditioning, and that's what we had. We fought 12 rounds,” Lopez said.
“You need more will than technique, and that's what we showed. If I was tired, I worked hard on this, and I know he was more tired. I knew I had to outwork him. The body shots were hurting him.”
“I'm very grateful. He's a tough fighter. I don't think anyone should take him lightly. I knew that even before I went into this fight.”
Ramirez outdoes Benitez
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Robbie Ramirez knocked out Brandon Benitez with a stunning uppercut in the seventh round of their featherweight bout.
Former WBO featherweight world champion Robbie Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs) defeated Mexico’s Brandon Leon Benitez (21-3, 9 KOs) in the seventh round of the night’s double feature bout.
Ramirez controlled the pace from the beginning, tormenting Benitez with power shots in the second and third rounds. Benitez tried to attack from the inside, but Ramirez was able to push him away or use his feet, constantly creating space for combination attacks.
In the seventh round, the two-time Olympic gold medalist moved around some more, landing some light punches on Benitez, before landing a powerful left uppercut that sent Benitez down. Benitez was unable to recover, and the referee was forced to end the bout at 2 minutes, 46 seconds.
“It's no secret that Ismael Salas is one of the best strategists in the world, so my plan was to tire him out bit by bit, and after the last round he told me not to go for the power shots, to move around a bit and get back to my own pace,” Ramirez said. [amateur] Roots. That's what I did. Touch and feel and find the shot.
“It's not the first time I've landed a punch like that. It feels good to land a punch like that because it validates all the hard work I've been putting in at camp.”
“I want to get the title back. I want a rematch with Rafael Espinoza. If not him, I'm open to any other champion.”
Ali Walsh gets revenge on Akale
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Despite dislocating her shoulder during the bout, Niko Ali Walsh won against Sona Akhare in a middleweight rematch.
Middleweight prospect Niko Ali Walsh (11-1, 5 KOs) avenged his only professional loss with a six-round unanimous decision victory in a rematch against Sona Akhare (9-2, 4 KOs).
“The Greatest” Son dropped Akare with a left hook in the third round, but Akare fought back with a barrage of punches that hurt him in the fifth. Ali Walsh dislocated his left shoulder in the sixth round, but hung in there until the end, attacking an aggressive Akare with a right hand in the final seconds.
Ali Walsh won by scores of 58-55, 57-56, 57-56.
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