FRISCO, Texas — Mikey Garcia and Jessie Vargas meet in a 12-round welterweight battle in the main event of Saturday’s DAZN card at the Ford Center at The Star.
But before that, we’ll see two title fights and the return of a former heavyweight world titlist on the undercard
In the co-main event, Kal Yafai defends his WBA junior bantamweight world title against former pound-for-pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.
WBC flyweight world titleholder Julio Cesar Martinez faces Jay Harris in a 12-round showdown, and Joseph Parker meets Shawndell Winters on a quest to stay relevant at heavyweight.
Stay here for live undercard results and analysis.
Diego Pacheco vs. Oscar Riojas, 6 rounds, super middleweights
— Fight in progress …
Prospect Espino outpoints Savage
Las Vegas super middleweight prospect Alexis Espino looked a bit sluggish early on but picked things up as the fight went on and ultimately routed tough Delvecchio Savage (3-6-1, 3 KOs), 23, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Espino (6-0, 4 KOs), 20, of Las Vegas, made it three straight victories for Robert Garcia-trained fighters; he won by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 59-55, as he handed Savage his fourth six-round decision loss in a row. Savage landed a few solid shots along the way, but Espino was far more accurate and had Savage in a little trouble late, including a flush uppercut that landed in the final round.
Acevedo dominates Knifechief
Mikey Garcia-promoted and Robert Garcia-trained junior middleweight prospect Leo Ruiz Acevedo (7-0, 5 KOs), 20, of San Bernardino, California, dominated Dennis Knifechief (12-12, 7 KOs), 30, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, en route to a third-round knockout in their scheduled six-rounder.
In the third round, Acevedo pinned Knifechief on the ropes and teed off on him until referee Rosario Solis stepped in to stop the fight at 1 minute, 44 seconds.
Rodriguez stops Sustaita in eighth round
San Antonio flyweight prospect Jesse Rodriguez (11-0, 7 KOs), 20, who is promoted by Mikey Garcia’s Garcia Promotions, looked sharp in a one-sided eighth-round knockout of Marcos Sustaita (12-3-1, 10 KOs), 23, of Oceanside, California.
Rodriguez, who is also trained by Robert Garcia, dominated virtually the entire fight and hurt Sustaita several times during the bout. In the eighth round, Rodriguez nailed Sustaita with a left hook to the head that rocked him and sent him toward the ropes. Rodriguez followed by landing a few more unanswered punches, forcing referee Laurence Cole to wave off the fight at 1 minute, 10 seconds.
Still to come
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Title fight: Kal Yafai vs. Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, 12 rounds, for Yafai’s WBA junior bantamweight title
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Title fight: Julio Cesar Martinez vs. Jay Harris, 12 rounds, for Martinez’s WBC flyweight title
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Joseph Parker vs. Shawndell Winters, 10 rounds, heavyweights
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Israil Madrimov vs. Charlie Navarro, 10 rounds, WBA junior middleweight eliminator