By Matthew Benoliel –

Six-foot two, 230-pound Lorenzo “The Giant Killer” Medina (4-0, 4 KOs) will become the youngest boxer yet to appear on ProBox TV’s Future Stars series on Wednesday, January 25th at the ProBox Center in Plant City, Florida. 

ProBox subscribers know that the Future Stars series is dedicated to showcasing top amateurs who have recently turned pro, and the eighteen-year old Medina has more than earned his shot in the spotlight.

Medina began boxing at the age of seven, taking advantage of the Police Athletic Leagues in Pembroke Pines and later in Davie, Florida. According to Medina, “I became serious about boxing at age thirteen.” Traveling the country to find opponents in the amateur ranks, Medina gained valuable experience that would transfer to his advantage. By age fifteen, Medina had placed second in National competition, and by age seventeen, had placed first in the Olympic Trials. 

Ranked number one in the country at super-heavyweight, Medina decided to forgo the Olympic dream and turn pro. He was still just seventeen years old. Lorenzo scored two first round knockouts over older and more experienced opponents in Mexico before making his American debut on October 15th, 2022, on the eve of his eighteenth birthday.  Medina made an impression on the crowd at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, as well as the veteran ring announcers Michael Woods and Beto Duran when he forced his opponent to quit in the first round. 

In December of 2022, Medina advanced his record to 4-0 with a third round TKO victory over Dwight Gipson, an opponent who outweighed him by 110 pounds. The Giant Killer was living up to his alias. 

Now, Medina is excited for his opportunity to appear on the Future Stars series.  This is mainly due to the fact that since its inception, ProBox has earned a reputation for making fights against even competitors that boxing fans want to see. 

Medina stated, “50/50 fights. That’s what people need. That’s what boxing needs. The sport is being watered down with good guys who are scared to take the big fights. I want to be considered one of the greats.”  

And he has been studying the greats since age seven. “At seven, I was aware of Roy Jones Jr., James Toney, Manny Pacquaio, Oscar DeLaHoya…I wanted to be a world champion.” Now that he’s established himself as a heavyweight, Medina cites Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, David Tua, and George Benton, “the inventor of the shoulder roll,” as his favorites.

What makes Medina exceptional is that despite his age, he has a maturity beyond his years. For example, when a fight that was supposed to take place in front of his hometown crowd, in which he sold “around $13,000 in tickets,” was recently canceled. Lorenzo didn’t flinch. He returned the money he had collected, and set his sights on January 25th. He didn’t take to social media to complain or call people out. Hde simply moved on.

Likewise, Medina is a real student of the sport. He loves to talk about technique and abilities of fighters past and present. He has been privately training clients for years, and has sparred with the likes of Luis Ortiz, Lawrence Okolie, Filip Hrgovic, as well as ex-NFL stars Frank Gore and Greg Hardy, Jr. The Giant Killer has earned the respect of his sparring partners and is poised to make a statement. “85% of the heavyweight division doesn’t have fast feet. They don’t move like me.” 

On his upcoming bout, Medina wants the fans to know, ““People will see. They’re gonna see the footwork, the head movement.” On performing in front of commentators Paulie Malignaggi and Juan Manuel Marquez, Medina states, “it will make me perform even better, knowing that two great fighters will be watching me.” His 2023 goal is to reach 10-0 and possibly fight for a title. 

On January 25th, Medina will showcase his skills on the largest platform of his career thus far. Fans are in for a treat as they will witness a young man with exceptional foot and hand speed for a heavyweight, a fighter who is still developing physically, but has devoted his entire life to the sport. 

Medina trains with head coach Jeff Portiz and Kevin Gleason, and is managed by Ryan Rickey.

The British Boxing Board of Control issued a statement this morning on their official Twitter account claiming that it has banned the highly anticipated matchup between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn.

Benn tested positive for Clomifene, a female fertility drug that raises testosterone levels, and is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The test was performed by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

The statement from the BBBofC reads, “On the evening of 4th October 2022, the Board of the British Boxing Board of Control Limited resolved that the contest between Chris Eubank Jnr. and Conor Benn scheduled to take place on 8th October 2022 is prohibited as it is not in the interests of Boxing. That was communicated to the Boxers and Promoters involved on the morning of 5th October 2022.”  

However, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn is still pushing for this fight to go forward. Hearn’s previous statement on social media asserted that both fighters have been made aware of the “legal” implications of the fight, and have agreed to move forward. Hearn is seeking a court injunction to guarantee that the fight may proceed. 

Chris Eubank Sr, already concerned about his son making the catch weight of 157 pounds, which he’s never made in his professional career, has been urging fans to boycott the fight. And while Eubank needs to drop weight, already a risky proposition, he will be facing a man who is moving up ten pounds, possibly with the help of a banned substance.  

Let’s remember too: Conor Benn was removed from the WBC rankings temporarily in January of 2022 for refusing to enroll in the WBC Clean Boxing Program, administered by VADA. And this was following his devastating knockout of former World Champion Chris Algieri in December of 2021. Algieri, who got up off the canvas five times against Manny Pacquaio, and three times against Errol Spence, Jr. has never been counted out in his professional career. Benn himself was shocked to see Algieri in his condition following the knockout and showed concern.  

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (November 24, 2021) Welterweight Jimmy Brenes scored a first round TKO in the first round of his pro debut against Herbert Cruz Lopez (0-1) on the undercard of Hernandez vs. Esquivel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Brenes, who hails from Nicaragua, currently trains with Reniel Aponte and Mike Robles of KO Fitness Center in Hialeah, Miami. As a 95-15 amateur, Brenes competed in the Pan American Games, won Florida State Golden Gloves as well as the Florida State PAL Championship, before joining the Nicaraguan Olympic Team.

Trainer Mike Robles said, “He fought great. Very selective, not rushing anything, but very effective on his punches landed. Great performance coming from an elite amateur transforming to the pro style.” His opponent Herbert Cruz is a naturally bigger fighter who fought his pro debut two weight classes higher at 157 pounds. “So it’s showing our KO Fitness work. He displayed our work awesomely.”

At KO Fitness, Mike and Reniel also train Reniel’s son, the highly touted prospect Aaron Aponte (4-0, 2 KOs),who was also an elite level amateur turned pro in 2020, super featherweight Luis Melendez (17-1, 13 KOs), undefeated welterweight Harold Calderon (26-0, 17 KOs) and other up and comers.

The card was promoted by Eddie Hearn and Canelo Alvarez with the main card broadcast on DAZN.

HOLLYWOOD, FL–In the main event, Olympic Gold medalist Kayla Harrison (2-1-0 this season) fought Taylor Guardado (3-0-0) for her second $1,000,000 purse and PFL Lightweight Championship at The Seminole Hard Rock Casino Harrison showed superior strength and ground control for the first two rounds and secured an arm bar at the four minute mark to earn the victory.

Cooper III KOs Magomedkerimov for PFL Welterweight Title

Magomed Magomedkerimov (career record 28-5-0, 2-0-0 with PFL) was a -275 favorite to take the Welterweight World Championship. His opponent, Ray Cooper lll (22-8-1 career, 2-1-0 with PFL this season) didn’t seem to notice. After taking a low kick in the first round, Cooper came back to control the action throughout round two.

The tables momentarily turned in round three and Magomedkerimov landed several vicious knees. Cooper answered with a right hand of his own, then found an opening for the knockout with another right hand at 3:02 of round three.

Montes Decisions Shields at PFL

In a three-round, non-title contest, Mexico’s Abagail Montes (2-0) gave 2-time Olympic gold medalist and multi-division world champion boxer  Claressa Shields (1-0) a tough time by controlling distance, scoring takedowns, and initiating a vicious ground and pound. The fight went the distance with one judge scoring  29-28 for Shields, and the other two scoring 29-28 for the winner Abagail Montes.

Bruno Cappelozza (13-5, 3-0 this season) and Ante Delija (career 19-4-0) (2-1-0 this season in PFL)battled for the Heavyweight Championship in an exciting and violent contest that went the distance. Superior striking and ground and pound earned Bruno Cappelozza the decision on all cards. 48-46, 49-45 x 2.

Movlid Khaybulaev (3-0 this season with PFL) of Dagestan, Russia, undefeated in his professional MMA career with 18 wins and no losses faced Long Island’s Chris Wade (20-6 career , 3-0 this season with PFL) for the PFL Featherweight Championship.

 Round one opened with fireworks as Khaybulaev scored three big right hands to the head of Wade before a brief lull in grappling range. Then the fight began. With 30 seconds left in the first round Khabulaev looked like he could secure a rear naked choke but the bell disagreed.

Wade came out charging in round two with some high kicks as the crowd chanted “USA, USA!” Khaybulaev continued to score with heavy shots to the head, and ended the round with advantage in the grappling range.

Rounds three and four saw a lot of grappling with the advantage still leaning towards Khaybulaev.

Wade attempted a flying knee in the opening seconds of round five but Khaybulaev deflected the blow and took control of the action once again. The round ended on the ground and the fight went to the judges. PFL’s innovative fight stat display showed  eight takedowns for Khaybulaev, who was way ahead ion strikes as well, and none for Wade.

All judges scored the contest 50-45 for Khaybulaev.

Antonio Carlos Jr. (3-0) submitted Marthin Hamlet (2-2) for the PFL Light Heavyweight championship via Rear Naked Choke submission at 3:49 of round 1

Brooklyn’s Cesar Francis announced himself to the welterweight division on Saturday evening, as the Panamanian boxer-puncher dominated previously undefeated Puerto Rican hope Jose Roman at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

Francis entered the fight as an underdog, but showed his skill levels from the outset, bossing the vast majority of the contest, with the judges scorecards being reflective of Francis’ dominance.

Francis, who nearly forced a stoppage midway through the fight, discussed his performance in front of his hometown crowd in Brooklyn.

He said, “Firstly I have to thank God for the victory, without God we don’t have anything in life. I’m blessed right now, beyond belief, and I am so grateful for that.

“I have to thank my team, Fransisco Guzman, Mitchell Graham and ProBox Promotions, DiBella Entertainment and Triller for giving me the opportunity to be in a competitive fight in Brooklyn, New York. This is what boxing is all about for me. Like I said before, I’m blessed. I have an amazing family and friends that support me and I couldn’t be happier right now.

“I thought I put on a good performance, but I know I have improvements to make and I will get back in the gym my team we will make them. I believe though I announced myself into the welterweight division on Saturday night. I can make 140 still as well, but I’m coming for real fights like I did on Saturday night.”

After taking the scalp of previously undefeated Roman, who entered the fight as a favorite, Brooklyn’s ‘Rainman’ opened up on his objectives moving forward.

Francis stated, “Look I’m really a 140 pounder, I can make 140 comfortably and I want big fights at 140. I’ve just beaten a good prospect at 147, so I have options. Right now though, I want the realest fights. I’m 9-0, but I’m not looking to be spoon fed. I want the tough opposition so I can show what level I am on.

“I have a great team that worked very hard for me to get this last opportunity and prepare me for it, and I know they’ll continue to do that moving forward. I trust them to make the right decision for me, but I’m open to boxing the elite level guys, and pushing on to title fights. That’s what I want next at either 140 or 147.”

St. Petersburg, FL (October 7, 2021) –Willian “Baby Face” Silva will battle Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin for the NABA Super Lightweight title Saturday, October 16 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Originally from Brazil and currently residing in Florida, Silva has an excellent professional record of 28 wins with 3 defeats and 18 wins by knockout. The 33 year old has faced the likes of undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez, top rated Arnold Barboza and Felix Verdejo.

One of New York’s most popular fighters, Seldin will be fighting for the 22nd time in the Empire State. The Long Island native enters the ring with an excellent 25-1 record and 21 wins by stoppage. Notable fighters he’s defeated include Zab Judah and Roberto Ortiz.

A win by Seldin brings him closer to a world title shot but Silva has other plans.

“This is a great opportunity and I’m going to make the most of,” Silva said from his training camp in St. Petersburg, FL. “Seldin is a good opponent but I have the necessary skills to have my hands raised on October 16. I also know a win in this fight would prove that I am among the best fighters in my division and move me closer to my goal of winning a world title.”

Silva’s manager, Jody Caliguire of Fire Fist Management, is excited and believes his fighter will emerge victorious.

“Willian was actually scheduled to fight in October 16 in Florida before this fight came together. It’s almost as if this was meant to happen and I know Silva has what it takes to pull this out. He’s training with Hall of Fame coach Jim McLaughlin, who’s brought out the best in him. Seldin is in for a big surprise!”

The bout airs live on Triller and precedes the Verzuz battle between hip hop legends Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One. Both fighters are promoted by Star Boxing.

“Don’t disrespect me,” was Claressa Shields response when asked if she would ever fight on a Jake Paul undercard. Citing her accomplishments in the world of boxing, her two Olympic Gold Medals, undisputed championships in several weight classes, why should she? Claressa Shields knows her worth, and has her eyes set on the $1,000,000 purse in a future PFL World Title Fight.

Shields, who won her pro debut for the organization on June 10th, believes that with three years practice she can become the PFL Champion as well.

 Her second fight can be seen on ESPN2 on Wednesday, October 27th. The card will also feature the current women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison who will defending her belt against Taylor Guardado, as well as five other title matchups, each carrying a $1,000,000 purse for the winner.

The event will be held at Seminole Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Hollywood, FL.

Danielito Zorilla stopped Pablo Cesar Cano in round two of a scheduled junior welterweight bout at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida

After a feeling out round one, Zorrilla landed a liver shot followed by an overhand right behind the ear for a combination that rocked Cano, who was unable to recover, earning Zorrilla the WBO NABO Junior Welterweight Championship.

Albright Stops Dutchover in 6

Nahir Albright (13-1) vs. Michael Dutchover (15-1) met in a super lightweight bout. Albright knocked Dutchover down once in the first round, once in the second and continued to control the action with his jab. Dutchover was knocked down again the third.

Dutchover’s face was bloodied in the fourth as Albright stepped up his output.  Albright landed a vicious combination at the end of the sixth that knocked Dutchover down for a three count. The doctor stopped the action at 2:59 for the TKO victory for Albright.

Madueno stops Frederickson

Undefeated Miguel Madueno (24-0) took on a very game Sonny Frederickson (21-4) in a super lightweight contest. Madueno controlled most of the action for the first four rounds, but by round five Frederickson found his rhythm and went from strictly countering to pressing the action.

In round six, Frederickson landed a few heavy bows to the head and body. Madueno was then penalized a point for holding. After more heavy trading on the inside in the seventh and eighth rounds, Madueno landed big shots and took control in the ninth, but Frederickson held on to make it into the final round.

 Round ten saw an explosion in output and power from Madueno who had Frederickson dazed and wobbly enough for referee Sam Burgos to call a halt to the action at the  2:04 mark.

Gonzalez stops Karpency

Cruiserweight and Miami hometown favorite Yuniesky Gonzalez (20-3) took only  35 punches and one and a half rounds to end Tommy Karpency’s (30-7-1)  night with a beautifully placed body shot.  González continues to show power and promise  in his comeback run.

Miami’s undefeated Bryce Henry (4-0), super welterweight, dominated Juan De Angel and stopped him in the fourth round with a right uppercut/ left hook combination.

HOLLYWOOD, FLA–The main event of Triller Verzuz lll did not last long. Former UFC Champion Vitor Belfort knocked down Evander Holyfield twice in the first round, then pounced on the former heavyweight champion until referee Sam Burgos called the fight off at 1:49 of round one. The fight headlines at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

Silva Knocks Out Ortiz in 1!

In a battle of MMA Legends, Anderson Silva stopped Tito Ortiz in the opening round of their eight-round cruiserweight bout.

Ortiz quickly backed Silva into the ropes, knocking Silva from one side of the ring to the other, landing combination after combination until, in true “Spider” style, Silva landed a short right hand that dropped Ortiz at 1:21  of round one and that was the end of the fight.

Carroll Takes Majority Decision over Vences

The second bout of Triller Verzuz lll featured Junior Lightweights Andy “El Tiburon” Vences vs. Jono “King Kong” Carroll. Both men are ranked top ten by the WBA, and both men fought with determination.

After a competitive but even six rounds, the action picked up in round seven after Vences landed a three punch combo to the body of Carroll

Carroll came out strong in round eight, and continued to press the action, but Vences landed some hard shots of his own, and opened a cut on Carroll that caught the attention of the ring doctor between rounds.

Carroll felt the pressure, and came out stronger than ever in round nine which was the most action-packed round of the fight.

The final stanza was fierce and action packed, with both men landing combinations, but the advantage was Carroll’s who took the majority decision with scores 95-95, 97-93, 97-93.

David Haye Decisions Fournier

Former heavyweight and cruiserweight champion David Haye took a eight-round unanimous decision over Joe Fournier in a heavyweight that featured two minute rounds.

In round one Fournier came out strong,  while Haye paced himself. Haye established his jab midway through the round and dropped Fournier with a crisp punch.

Haye led round two with a left hook, and frustrated Fournier throughout the round, but wasn’t putting much power behind his punches.

Fournier came out in round three with aggression, but Haye’s defense prevented any damage.

Rounds four through seven featured more chasing by Fournier, and evading by Haye, who did slip in the occasional jab to let Fournier know he was still there. 

Haye showcased his superior head movement in round eight and managed to evade all of Fournier’s punches.

Final scores: 79-72, 80-71, 79-72 for David “The Haymaker” Haye.

By Matthew Benoliel-

Think about it. An untitled event. Five fights on the card. A sold-out arena. An estimated 1,000,000 Pay Per View buys. The headliner: a motivated but untested YouTube star facing an ex-UFC Champion. An opening act featuring the half-brother of the Heavyweight Champion against the sparring partner of the headliner. And three, more meritable fights featuring up-and-comers and two female world champions. Throw in one MMA turned boxing commentator, alongside seasoned network professionals. It seems that last night’s Showtime card had something for everyone. 

     The opening bout featured Tommy Fury, who is arguably more well-known for his role on the reality series “Love Island,” than for being the half-brother of Heavyweight Champ Tyson Fury. From a promoter’s standpoint, it is  usually a pretty good thing to have a famous last name. Fury took on ex-Bellator fighter Anthony Taylor, a man ten years his senior, with whom Fury enjoyed a five inch height advantage, and a ten-inch reach advantage. Fury’s professional boxing record stood at 6-0 with 4 KOs, while Taylor was 0-1. Taylor did enjoy some success in Bellator after losing his first few fights, but it seemed here like all the advantage would go to Fury, a -1400 favorite. However, Taylor was able to stand his ground, tie-up Fury when he had to, and made it a much closer fight than anyone expected. But what is interesting to note is that Taylor met Jake Paul through social media. By calling out Jake Paul. The two had since become friends, with Jake Paul funding the training camp, as well as the purse for Anthony Taylor.   

   Jake Paul has also publicly stated his affinity towards Puerto Rican fighters and multi-division title holder Amanda Serrano in particular. The matchup between Serrano and 122-pound champ Yamileh Mercado was exciting and helped shed a positive light on women’s boxing, as well as being one of the biggest stages either lady has fought on so far.  With so many other up and coming fighters claiming Puerto Rico as home, there may be opportunity for bigger purses on Paul’s future cards for the likes of Xander Zayas or Edgar Berlanga.   

  Former IBF Super Lightweight Champion Ivan Baranchyk (20-2) vs. Montana Love (15-0-1) is a respectable match on any card. Love is an up and comer who showed fierce tenacity and skill against a former world champion. The fight ended at the behest of Baranchyk’s corner following a particularly brutal seventh round. Baranchyk and trainer Pedro Diaz are well-known in the Miami boxing scene and it’s more than likely that the team and Jake Paul have crossed paths in the not-so distant path.  

   Pedro Diaz was also featured in Tyrone Woodley’s corner. Throughout the main event, it became apparent that Woodley could have beaten Paul if he were more active. His tools were sharper all around. But with a guaranteed $500,000 paycheck, and possibly another $500,000 from the PPV buys, along with a possible rematch with the condition that he slap an “I Love Jake Paul” tattoo on his person, perhaps Woodley was thinking about his future. In the end, one judge did favor Woodley, who lost by split decision, giving Woodley enough clout to request the rematch.    

  At the end of the night, we saw two good fights, the American debut of a talented heavyweight, and a well-paced show without all the extra music and performances of some other recent platforms.  While many in the boxing world are debating Paul’s merits as a fighter, and asking, “when is he going to fight a legit boxer in his weight class?” the real question should be, “Is Jake Paul going to be the sport’s next big promoter?”

Boxing Promoter/ Undefeated Cruiserweight Blake “Bad” Davis hosted “Only The Strong Survive” last night, August 21st at the Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino in Hallandale, Florida. Five fights were featured, as two of the expected bouts were cancelled last minute due to Covid-19 and an unfortunate car accident. This was the promotions second event at Gulfstream Park, in a venue that is second to none in the South Florida region.

In the opening bout, light heavyweight Geremiah Coller (2-0) took on Phillip Hannah (0-7), stopping him at 2:28 of the third round. Coller controlled the action for most of the fight, scoring with short hooks and uppercuts. Coller was a game opponent, but was taking too much damage to be allowed to continue.

Next up was Lameck Coller, also 2-0 and fighting in the light heavyweight division, against Kendly St. Louis, making his pro debut. St. Louis is a familiar face to South Florida MMA fans, having fought for both XFN as an amateur, and more recently, Titan FC as a professional. MMA fans who may have seen Kendly’s recent performance at Titan FC 70 know one thing-this man can punch. This pro boxing debut was an exciting fight, with both men landing and keeping a good pace throughout. In the end, it was Kendly who emerged victorious with a unanimous decision, all judges scoring the fight 38-37.

Bout three featured the pro debut of crowd favorite Jordan “Jiggy” Murphy from Deerfield Beach, FL, against Steve “The Surgeon” Merrill (0-2) of Iowa. Murphy showed good skill for a pro debut, with impressive defense, his head movement and footwork kept him well out of the way of Merrill’s punches. Offensively, it was Jordan that who should have been called the surgeon, as several of his combinations landed square on the nose of his opponent. The match ended with Merrill on very wobbly legs, prompting the stoppage and Murphy scoring a TKO in round 2.

BAD Promotions welterweight favorite Pete “Pistol” Dobson (12-0) made his third appearance for the promotion, this time taking on Andres Viera (10-3) of Uruguay. In the opening two rounds there was a lot of feeling out by the competitors until Dobson decided to step on the gas. Viera fought hard but was simply outboxed by the undefeated Dobson and the fight was stopped in round five.

In the main event, Blake “Bad” Davis (7-0, 4KOs) took on Tyler Vogel (3-4, 2 KOs) of Fargo North Dakota. Vogel has competed in kickboxing and bareknuckle boxing, most noted for his brawl with Jake Bostwick in BKFC in November of 2020. This was a violent and epic clash that led to a first-ever “overtime” round, that ended with Vogel losing the judge’s decision. Tonight, Vogel did not seem to be able to have any answer to Blake’s offense, and was knocked out by a hard right hook in the sixth round. Bad Blak Davis advanced his record to 8-0, with 5 KOs.

Backyard Brawl Extreme 6 took place this evening at the Hard Rock Live venue at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fl., featuring ten bouts of bareknuckle boxing in a triangle-shaped ring known as the Trigon. The Trigon is an unforgiving stage, with little room to run and corners that can leave a fighter with no angle to spin out, forcing an exchange with likely brutal consequences.

Calling the action were veteran commentators Paul Malignaggi, Benny Ricardo and Mike Goldberg. All welcome additions to the promotion.

Founder Dada5000 knows that the action in the Trigon is most likely to end in a knockout, as has been the trend in the first five shows. Tonight saw one fight end in a no-contest decision due to an accidental foul (hitting a grounded opponent) and several fights that went the distance.

This author’s pick for fight of the night belongs to the ladies. Patricia Juarez, a former professional boxer, who challenged tough-as-nails Christine “Knuckles” Stanley (2-0) for the promotions Lightweight Championship. Stanleys eye was moused in the first round and it seemed unlikely that the fight would go the distance. Juarez showed superior technique with her footwork and body punches but Stanley stayed in the fight for the duration. After seven rounds of explosive action, both women were bloodied and the crowd roared in anticipation as the unanimous decision was declared in Juarez’ favor.

The main event featured hometown crowd favorite Rene “White Boy” Rodriquez vs. Matt Delanoit.  Delanoit went down in the first round but quickly recovered. Round two commenced with both men swinging for glory and a rare double knockdown. Delanoit quickly recovered and picked himself up, but Rodriquez, landing on the back of his head, was shaken. The referee reached a count of 9, asked Rodriquez if he wanted to continue, but Rodriquez did not give a definitive answer. It was a rowdy end to an exciting night of fights and Delanoit will now challenge for the 185lb belt at BYB 7 in September.

July 11, 2021.  Three years ago, Miami’s Marlon Kelly was the Sugar Bert National Champion, the #1 amateur in the country. In 2019, he was a semi-finalist in the Olympic Trials. He trains at KOFitness in Hialeah, alongside another former top-ranked amateur turned pro, Aaron Aponte. Last night, Kelly scored his third technical knockout of his professional career, keeping his record a perfect 3-0, with 3 KOs.  The bout also marked his second appearance with Road Warrior Promotions, the South Florida based promotion headed by former world champion Glen Johnson.

Kelly shared the card with other South Florida favorites including cruiserweight Isaiah “Night Knight” Thompson, known for knocking out opponents as an amateur in the Golden Gloves as well as the professional ranks. Night Knight devastated Leroy Jones in the first round forcing a TKO stoppage, bringing his record to 5-0, 4 KOs.  

Featherweight Daniel Bailey also won several titles as an amateur and competed in his seventh professional event this evening. Bailey displayed an impressive skillset-speed, technique, defense and dominated his opponent Mike Fowler to retain his undefeated record.

Manuel “Sweet Dreams” Correa (9-0, 6 KOs) brought a large following to the Miami Airport Convention Center last night, as did “Gorgeous” Alvin Davie (6-2, 5 KOs) and both men added a W to their resumes via TKO in their respective bouts.

Super featherweight Malik Lewis could be considered Glen Johnson’s “protégée,” as it was the 26-year old former mixed-martial artist who convinced the Road Warrior to become a trainer. Johnson has taken Lewis to a PAL championship as an amateur and now a 4-0 (3 KOs) professional who continues to improve with each fight.

Ermal “The Sniper” Hadribeaj (9-0-1), training out of The World Famous 5th Street Gym, also known as the “Albanian Lomachenko,” and well known for his victory back flips, continued his tradition of bringing fans and excitement to the venue. With a background in parkour and training partners such as Jeison Rpasrio, The Sniper is one to look out for in the future.

Veteran Heavyweight Carlos Negron (24-3, 19 KOs) was a surprise on this card. Negron scored a devastating knockout with a body to head combination that stopped pponent Antwaun Tubbs in his tracks.

The star of the promotion is Nigerian-born heavyweight Raphael Akpejiori. Akpejiori is a gifted athlete who came to the United States on a basketball scholarship to the University of Miami. He went on to play football for them as well and was later scouted by the Miami Dolphins. Now he has found his calling as a pugilist and has shown remarkable knockout power. His record stands at a perfect 12-0 with 12 KOs. Akpejiori continues to improve under the tutelage of Glen Johnson. And yes, he did call out Tyson Fury.  

Based in South Florida, Titan Fighting Championship has long been a springboard for both UFC and Bellator Fighters, providing fans with exciting, high-level matchups and last night was no exception. Two preliminary bouts were broadcast on the promotions Facebook page, and the main card played on UFC Fight Pass. Charles Rosa and Jose “Shorty” Torres narrated the action with the highest level of professionalism, expertise and energy. The action took place at the Intercontinental Hotel Miami with a very enthusiastic crowd.

 The main card exploded with a brutal contest between Kendly St. Louis (3-3-0) and Slava “Slava Claus” Borschev (3-1-0), a seasoned K-1 Kickboxer from Russia with UFC star Urijah Faber in his corner. From the opening bell, Borschev’s kickboxing skills were frustrating St. Louis. Landing low-kicks to the calves of St. Louis and alternating with high kicks, body punches and knees, Slava pressed the action. Midway through the round, St. Louis was surviving but taking punishment. With about forty-five seconds left in the first round, St. Louis landed an overhand right dropped Slava. Now St. Louis put his purple-belt in BJJ to good use and dominated the rest of the round. Slava managed to survive the strangulation attempts of St. Louis and was saved by the bell.

Slava opened round two with a hard body kick and began scoring with nasty combinations to the body. St. Louis showed the heart of a warrior and scored a takedown where he had the clear advantage. Slava fought his way back to his feet and ripped combinations to the body of St. Louis. Another takedown attempt paused the onslaught but Slava quickly regained his footing and continued to attack. Slava landed a left hand to the liver of St. Louis that slowed St. Louis down and turned the tide completely in Slava’s favor. St. Louis stayed in the fight and opened a cut above Slava’s left eye but Slava’s attack was overwhelming, landing round kicks to the head and finally another shot to the liver that dropped St. Louis to his knees. The fight was called at 4:41 of round two and Borschev took the TKO victory. 

Another absolute beast of a fighter is Angel Alvarez (1-0-0), a ten-time Cuban National Judo Champion, who took on Sanford MMA’s James Hay (3-1-0). Alvarez has been training at the Goat Shed Academy under coach Asim Zaidi, who ended a tremendous week with fighters from his stable taking home wins at BKFC18, Titan FC70, and even the Florida State Golden Gloves.  This contest ended in an unanimous decision for Alvarez with all judges scoring the fight 30-27. 

Fellow Goat Shed fighter and highly touted prospect Roy Echeverria (4-0-0) ended his bout with a more definitive statement in the form a beautiful oblique kick to a spinning hook kick combination against Earnest Walls (2-17-0), who stepped in as a last minute replacement. Walls seeked redemption for a prior loss to “The Unbroken” Roy in the night’s co-main event. Echeverria is an exciting, all around mixed-martial artist and a highly technical striker who is very likely to remain undefeated in the bantamweight division at Titan. 

The night also saw the highly anticipated professional MMA debut of Talita Alencar, a multi-title holding Jiu-Jitsu champion from Brazil. As expected, Talita finished her opponent Staci Vega via Rear Naked Choke at 4:41 of the first round. 

Heavyweight Denzel Freeman (2-0-0), an accomplished wrestler and Tae-Kwon Do Red belt defeated Duane Crespo (debut) at forty-seven seconds of round one. The 204-pound southpaw landed a left round kick to the body and followed up with punches that forced the referee stoppage. In the main event, American Top Team’s Bruno Assis took on Shane O’Shea for the vacant Titan FC Middleweight Championship. The fight opened at full throttle and was another back and forth match until Assis managed to secure a dominant position on the ground. The fight ended at 2:22 of round one when Assis transitioned from an armor to a triangle choke, securing another strap for the overflowing trophy case at American Top Team in Coconut Creek.

The first belt on the line is Luis “Baboon” Palomino’s (3-0, 3 KOs) Featherweight World Championship. Palomino is well known in South Florida for his MMA career including an epic battle with Justin Gaethje. Palomino faces England’s Tyler “El Tornado” Goodjohn. Baboon controlled the action for most of the fight and opened a cut on his opponent’s face in the second round. Baboon scored at will in the third round, connecting with power jabs and straight rights. In the fourth round, Baboon danced and continued to score, splitting Tyler’s guard over and over again. In the last round, Baboon added a vicious uppercut to his repertoire and landed it several times en route to a unanimous decision victory to retain his title. 

The BKFC Middleweight World Championship between Thiago Alves (1-0) and Uly Diaz began with immediate aggression from both fighters and both men were bloodied in the first round. Monster dropped Pitbull in the second round, who then recovered and finished the round with some good shots of his own. Pitbull dropped Uly early in the third round and continued the punishment throughout, landing hard combinations and a good case could have been made to stop the fight. The ref decided to let the action continue until the end of the round, but the ringside doctor decided he’d seen enough. 

Crowd favorite Hector Lombard (2-0) and Joe “Diesel” Riggs (3-0) took to the ring next. As expected, the first round began with thunder that soon subsided as the two men tried to establish a rhythm. Lombard was the aggressor in rounds two and three and landed several hard, looping hooks and some good straight lefts. Riggs returned fire in round four but was dropped by a left hand. Riggs then complained of an eye poke, but the replay showed a legal punch. After some discussion, it was ruled a TKO and Hector Lombard became the new BKFC World Cruiserweight Champion.In the main event for the BKFC Heavyweight World Championship, Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran (4-1-1, 2 KOs) took on Sam “Hillbilly Hammer” Shewmaker (4-1-1, 2 KOs).  Shewmaker began the round with a few haymakers, and Beltran’s face was bloodied. Shewmaker continued to press the action in round two. Beltran came back in round three with some good body shots and an overhand right, and was more active in the fourth round as well. Round five saw Beltran continuing to control the action but both men were fatigued. This was a close fight that ended at 2:13 am. The unanimous decision went to Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran, the Undisputed BKFC World Heavyweight Champion.

When we last saw Francisco RIcchi (2-0), he sustained a brutal injury following a punch to the throat and was placed in a medically-induced coma. He is returning to fight Brian Maxwell (0-3-0). Ricchi knocked down Maxwell in the opening seconds of round one, pursued some more, and ended the round with a short right hand and another knockdown. The action continued in round two with RIcchi dominating and knocking down Maxwell again with only 34 seconds left in the round, heralding the end of the fight and another TKO for Ricchi. 

Next up are two southpaw heavyweights Steve Herelius (debut) vs. Juan Torres (1-1). Both men were having trouble figuring out a successful plan of attack and spent much of the first two rounds in a clinch. Round three saw more action with both fighters connecting with significant blows at the beginning before showing signs of tiring. Rounds four and five continued as usual, with Herelius earning a split decision victory at the end. 

Two evenly matched fighters took to the squared circle next. Bruce Lutchmedia (1-0) and Eddie Hoch (1-0)

Although a lackluster performance from both fighters, Hoch was slightly more dominant en route to an unanimous decision.  Lutchmedial showed a spark from time to time, but it wasn’t consistent nor did it appear often enough throughout the 5 round bout to earn him more than a round or two.

Jarod “Kid Gatti” Grant remains undefeated after a TKO stoppage at 35 seconds of round four over Travis Thompson. This was Jarod’s biggest test to date in his bare knuckle career and he did what no one thought he could do, stop Travis Thompson. 

The fireworks started with Jake “Brutal” Bostwick and Julian “Let Me Bang” Lane. Lane knocked down Bostwick once in the first round, then again in the second. Bostwick recovered to finish the second round. Lane lost a little steam in the third round. Bostwick, bloody but unbeaten, was spurred on by his fans chanting, and finished the fight strong. The judges scored the bout 50-44, 50-43, 48-45, for the winner by unanimous decision, Julian Lane. 

Next up, former UFC competitor Pearl Gonzalez made her BKFC debut against Charisa Sigala (0-1). With Amanda Serrano in her corner, Gonzalez pressed the action throughout the fight and won an unanimous decision of 50-45, 50-45, 50-45.  After the bout, Gonzalez credited “moving to Brooklyn with Team Serrano” as a game-changer in her career. 

In the opening bout, Miami’s Eduardo Concepcion cracked fellow debutant Gabe Brown with a left hand then dropped him with a quick right. The ref immediately called the fight off at just five seconds of the first round, earning Concepcion the second fastest KO in BKFC history. 

The second matchup featured Yosdenis Cedeno, a familiar face in the South Florida MMA scene, making his BKFC debut against another MMA veteran, Alan Arzeno, who is 1-0 with the BKFC organization. Round one was a feeling out exercise with neither side landing any significant blows. Round two saw a little more action with Cedeno landing two good shots and pressing the action. Rounds three and four continued with little damage done. There was a ten second blast at the end of round five with both fighters swinging for the fences. In the end, Yosdenis Cedeno won a split decision with two judges scoring the bout 49-46 in his favor, and the third scoring 49-46 for Arzeno.  

Next up were welterweights Paul Teague (0-1) and Joshua “Famez” Alvarez, making his bare knuckle debut, with what may be the third fastest knockout in BKFC history at 17 seconds of the first round. From the opening bell, Famez, representing South Florida’s fastest growing MMA gym, the Goat Shed, dominated and connected several times before the final, swift straight right. The fourth bout featured Montaser Aboughaly, making his debut and fellow newcomer Luke Parsons. Aboughaly quickly knocked Parsons down twice before the ref stopped the fight at 34 seconds of the first round with a third knockdown.