Vergil Ortiz Jr. (24-0, 22 KOs) achieved a successful defense of his WBC interim junior middleweight title against Erickson ‘The Hammer’ Lubin (27-3, 19 KOs), achieving a knockout victory in the second round on Saturday night at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Following a subdued initial round, Lubin positioned himself against the ropes in round two, adopting a defensive posture and allowing Ortiz Jr. to unleash a barrage of punches. Three successive right hands from Ortiz Jr. severely affected ‘The Hammer’ Lubin, leaving him unsteady. The referee intervened to protect Lubin at that juncture. The stoppage occurred at 1:30 of round two.
After the contest, Ortiz Jr. beckoned Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to enter the ring, with the intention of announcing their impending match. The two combatants exchanged verbal jabs, each asserting their intention to emerge victorious in their upcoming clash.
Live results
Super middleweight contender Darius Fulghum (14-1-1, 12 KOs) and David Stevens (15-2-1, 10 KOs) engaged in a 10-round majority draw, in a bout that mirrored a Greco-Roman wrestling contest. Frequent clinching characterized the fight, limiting the number of clean strikes. The judges scored the contest 96-94 for Fulghum, 95-95, and 95-95.
It is hoped that Golden Boy Promotions will reconsider arranging a rematch between the two, as it is anticipated to be a similar affair. Matching Fulghum and Stevens against different opponents, such as Olsleys Iglesias, Christian Mbilli, Diego Pacheco, or Lester Martinez, would be beneficial. These fighters are less likely to engage in excessive holding. Golden Boy may have underestimated the potential for excessive clinching when they sanctioned the Fulghum vs. Stevens fight.
Middleweight Amari Jones (15-0, 13 KOs) overwhelmed the outmatched Shady Gamhour (14-3, 9 KOs), securing a stoppage in the third round of another lopsided contest on the evening’s undercard. Jones, the 23-year-old prospect, dropped Gamhour, 35, with a right hook after staggering him with two forceful left hooks. The referee opted to halt the fight at that moment. The official time was recorded at 2:54 of the third.
Heavyweight prospect Joshua Edwards (5-0, 5 KOs) consistently landed heavy blows on the defenseless Zeno Vooris (5-2, 5 KOs), resulting in cuts above both eyes, which prompted his corner to stop the fight in round three. The stoppage occurred at 2:34 of round three.
Cruiserweight Robin Sirwan Safar (19-0, 13 KOs) controlled the action, defeating the fatigued and outmatched 35-year-old Derick Miller Jr (18-1, 10 KOs) by a 10-round unanimous decision. The judges’ scores were 98-91, 99-90, and 99-90. Miller appeared unsteady and weary in the later rounds. He lacked power and absorbed numerous hard punches from Safar, the 32-year-old Swedish fighter.
Middleweight Eric Priest (16-0-1, 8 KOs) and Esneiker Correa (16-6-3, 14 KOs) fought to an eight-round split decision in the final preliminary bout. Correa rallied in the later rounds to secure the draw. The fight was expected to be a clear victory for Priest, but Correa demonstrated greater determination. The judges’ scores were 69-73 for Priest, 77-75 for Correa, and 76-75.
Light welterweight prospect Javier Meza (5-0, 2 KO) defeated Joshua Briones (3-5, 2 KO) by a six-round unanimous decision in a contest that offered unexpected competitiveness at times. Meza frequently trapped Briones against the ropes. However, Briones displayed notable power, troubling Meza in round six, which added excitement to the final moments of the fight. The scores were 59-55, 58-55, and 58-55.
Junior middleweight Samuel Torres Castellanos (4-0, 3 KO) dominated the overmatched Ricardo Elizalde (0-2), achieving a second-round TKO victory. Elizalde took a knee following a perceived punch, though no impactful blow was apparent. The situation was unusual. The stoppage was timed at 1:55 of round two.
Elizalde’s corner intervened to stop the fight in round two shortly after he had been dropped. He was not returning punches and appeared unwilling to continue.
Follow live updates, scores, and results from the DAZN main card.
How to Watch
Main card begins at 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT on DAZN.
Ring walks are approximately 11:00 p.m. ET for Ortiz Jr. vs. Lubin.
DAZN Main card starts at 8 pm ET
- Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Erickson Lubin
- Darius Fulghum vs. David Stevens
- Amari Jones vs. Shady Gamhour
- Joshua Edwards vs. Zeno Vooris
- Robin Safar vs. Derick Miller Jr.
Prelims at 4:00 pm ET on Golden Boy YouTube
- Eric Priest vs. Esneiker Correa
- Robin Safar vs. Derick Miller Jr.
- Javier Meza vs. Joshua Garcia
- Samuel Castellanos vs. Ricardo Elizalde
- Figo Gonzalez vs. Oziel Aradillas
