Carson, CA, USA: Bantam: Nonito Donaire (41-6) W TKO 4 Nordine Oubaali (17-1). Super Light: Subriel Matias (17-1) W RTD 8 Batyrzhan Jukembayev (18-1). Super Light: Gary Antuanne Russell (14-0-0) W RTD 6 Jovanie Santiago (14-2-1). Super Light: Kevin Johnson (9-2) W KO 8 Luis Salazar (15-1). Bantam: Alejandro Santiago (24-2-5) W KO 2 Juan Medina (12-7).
Donaire vs. Oubaali
Donaire crushes WBC champion Oubaali with three knockdowns to make history as the oldest fighter to win a bantamweight title.
Round 1
A close opening round saw Oubaali using his speed and landing jabs to head and body. Donaire was a little slower but looked dangerous with his left hooks.
Score: 10-9 Oubaali
Round 2
Similar story but Oubaali upped his pace a bit more and mixed in some good hooks and straight rights. Donaire applied pressure and connected with some left hooks but was just outscored by the champion.
Score: 10-9 Oubaali Oubaali 20-18
Round 3
Donaire was walking Oubaali down and closing the distance. Oubaali was still jabbing well but had nothing with which to keep the taller Donaire out. It was a close round until with 45 seconds to go in the round Donaire clipped Oubaali with a left to the head. Oubaali fell forward putting his glove on the canvas to stop himself from going down. When he straightened he looked shaky. After the count Donaire floored Oubaali heavily. Initially the referee seemed to throw his arms out to stop the fight and corner men and the doctor were climbing thought the ropes. The referee waived for them to get out and he then gave Oubaali a count and Oubaali survived the round.
Score: 10-7 Donaire Donaire 28-27
Round 4
Oubaali tried to hold Donaire off in the fourth but failed and a left hook dumped Oubaali on the floor propped up against the ropes. He looked in some distress and this time the referee did stop the fight.
Great victory for the 38-year-old Donaire who is already a four-division champion and becomes the oldest fighter to win the bantamweight title. Now he wants a return with Naoya Inoue who took his WBA super bantamweight title in his last fight in November 2019. Oubaali was making the third defence of the title. Oubaali had been a travelling champion having won the WBC title by beating Rau’shee Warren in the USA and defended it in Kazakhstan and Japan. He just could not match the power punching of Donaire. He is 34 but unlikely to retire.
Matias vs. Jukembayev
Matias brutalises and breaks down unbeaten Jukembayev to force Jukembayev’s corner to pull their man out of the fight after eight rounds. A confident start from Jukembayev. He was finding gaps for his right jab and banging home straight lefts. Matias had some success with left jabs late in the round but the early work from Jukembayev earned him the round. Matias was coming forward throughout the second with Jukembayev scoring with rights and lefts but he could not keep Matias out and the Puerto Rican scored well to the body. Jukembayev was being forced to stand and trade punches in the third with the strength of Matias telling and in the fourth a series of punches sent Jukembayev reeling back and down. Jukembayev beat the count and fought hard to make it to the bell. Jukembayev boxed his way through the fifth but Matias had him under heavy pressure at the end of the sixth. Matias was relentless in the seventh. Jukembayev was countering with accurate shots but Matias was walking through them and landing hurtful body shots although Jukembayev seemed to stagger Matias with a right hook late in the round. Matias handed out a solid beating for the whole three minutes of the eighth. With serious swelling around both eyes an exhausted Jukembayev retired at the end of the round. This was the semi-final of an IBF eliminator series to establish a mandatory challenger to Josh Taylor with Australian Liam Paro and Argentinian Jeremias Ponce the other two contesting the semi-finals. Matias was floored and outpointed by unfancied Russian Petros Ananyan in February 2020 but came back with a win over 18-0 Malik Hawkins in October. Canadian-based Kazak Jukembayev had not fought since January 2020 and the only name on his record was Miguel Vazquez who he outpointed in 2019.
Russell vs. Santiago
Russell has yet to go the distance for a win and he floored and broke down Santiago who retired after the sixth round making it the longest fight so far for Russell. Russell dictated the action with stiff jabs in the first and began to find the range with southpaw lefts in the second but Santiago dug in some left hooks to the body at the end of the round. Russell got through with solid shots to head and body in the third and dropped Santiago with a short right hook in the fourth. Santiago soaked up more punishment but made to the bell. The fifth was a more even round but Russell battered Santiago in the sixth and came close to ending it with Santiago retiring at the end of the round. First fight in fifteen months for the 24-year-old Russell who has taken only 29 rounds for his 14 wins. First inside the distance loss for Puerto Rican Santiago who had lost on points against Adrien Broner in February
Johnson vs. Salazar
Johnson proves too strong and too quick for Dominican Salazar. Salazar was having his first fight outside the Republic and was exposed by the less experienced Johnson. Salazar never really got into the fight in a significant way. Johnson outboxed him over the first two rounds and then floored him twice in the third. Salazar survived but also suffered a cut on the bridge of his nose. Salazar’s cut bleed copiously but he managed to avoid too much trouble until the seven when he was dropped for the third time. With his face smeared with blood when he went down again in the eighth the fight was stopped. Johnson, a former National PAL silver medal winner, had lost to two unbeaten former amateur stars in Fazliddin Gaibnazarov and Richardson Hitchins and was having his first fight for 15 months but this win might lead to a more active run. Former Dominican amateur champion Salazar had been carefully matched against novices and faded fighters and was exposed here
Santiago vs. Medina
Mexican Santiago brushes aside Dominican Medina. Santiago outscored Medina in the first and then put him down and out in the second. WBC International champion Santiago is unbeaten in his last 20 fights including four draws and is No 6 with the WBC. Medina drops to 2-7 in his last 9 fights.
Eric Armit produces weekly fight reports covering action across the globe.
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