Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez (29-1, 27 KOs), the IBF super featherweight titleholder, utilized a high punch output to triumph over Christopher Diaz (30-6, 19 KOs) via a 12-round unanimous decision in a hard-fought battle on Saturday night at the Centro de Usos Multiples, Los Mochis, in Mexico.
Nunez’s Punch Rate Against Diaz’s Strength
Diaz, 30, delivered the more impactful and precise punches during the course of the contest. However, Nunez’s victory stemmed from his higher punch volume and effective inside fighting. He outhustled Diaz, landing a greater number of lighter blows. Nunez’s style was reminiscent of a smaller, less imposing version of lightweight William Zepeda, sharing similarities but lacking Zepeda’s output and body punching prowess.
A Fierce Final Round
In the final round, Diaz intensified his attack on Nunez, connecting with significant headshots, resulting in a cut above Nunez’s left eye. Visibly shaken and damaged, Nunez was forced to defend against the ropes for the majority of the final two minutes as Diaz unleashed a barrage of heavy head blows. Nunez endured a significant amount of punishment and was fortunate that the round didn’t last any longer, as he appeared to be in dire straits during the closing moments. Diaz landed numerous powerful shots throughout the latter part of the round.
‘Sugar’ Nunez secured two knockdowns in the seventh round, which contributed to his ultimate victory. The initial knockdown occurred when a punch landed on Diaz’s shoulder and traveled upward to the back of his head, causing him to fall.
The second knockdown in the seventh round saw Eduardo connect with a right hand as Diaz was in the process of throwing a punch. The slickness of the canvas potentially played a role in both instances, as the decal proved to be slippery, causing Diaz some difficulty.
The official scores were:
It’s my belief that the scores were too generous. Diaz demonstrated sufficient skill to win five or six rounds. Nevertheless, the two knockdowns in the seventh round significantly hindered his chances of securing a win. The enthusiastic pro-Nunez crowd sometimes created the impression that he was performing better than he actually was, as their cheers erupted with each punch landed, regardless of whether his shots carried the same impact as Diaz’s more powerful blows.
Diaz exhibited a surge of energy in the 11th and 12th rounds, delivering powerful rights and lefts to the head of ‘Sugar’ Nunez. The left hooks that Diaz landed on Nunez’s body were executed with impeccable technique. It’s remarkable how Nunez managed to withstand those shots. The 12th round proved particularly challenging for Nunez, as Diaz unleashed a relentless assault, throwing continuous power punches to the head of the visibly weary Mexican fighter.
