Knockdown, cut, and pressure fight end with Lopez forcing referee stoppage in ProBox TV main event.
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Najee Lopez (16-0, 13 KOs) survived a knockdown and stopped Manuel Gallegos (22-4-1, 19 KOs) at 2:41 of the eighth round Friday night at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.
The victory earned Lopez the WBA Continental Americas and WBO Latino light heavyweight belts.
Gallegos pressed the action early. The Mexican fighter walked forward, throwing hooks and body shots and forcing Lopez to fight in close exchanges. The pace stayed high through the early rounds as both men traded punches at short range.
The fight reached its turning point in the seventh round. Gallegos dropped Lopez during a hard exchange, but Lopez rose quickly and fired back with heavier punches before the round ended.
By the eighth, Gallegos was still stepping forward but taking the cleaner shots. Lopez set his feet, let combinations go, and eventually drove Gallegos into the corner before unloading punches that forced the stoppage.
“That just shows you I’m a true champion and I’m here to stay,” Lopez said after the fight. “I’m willing to prove it every time I step in the ring. He was the best version of himself possible. I fought a true champion tonight.”
Lopez also acknowledged the pressure Gallegos brought into the fight.
“That’s a tough mf right there,” Lopez said. “Soon as I had him on the hook, I wasn’t going to let him off. That was 100% of a test, and I feel like I passed it.”
Dominic Valle Outpoints Eduardo Ramirez
Dominic Valle (13-0, 7 KOs) earned a unanimous decision over Eduardo “Zurdito” Ramirez (29-6-3, 14 KOs) in the ten-round super featherweight co-main event.
Ramirez controlled much of the early action, pressing forward and forcing Valle to box while moving. The veteran staggered Valle in the fifth round with a hook before Valle answered later in the round with an uppercut that shook Ramirez.
Valle’s right eye began swelling during the middle rounds, but he stayed active to the body and had his best success in the seventh and eighth. Ramirez pushed hard in the final round with combinations to the head and body.
Judges returned scores of 96-94 and 98-92 twice for Valle.
Dante Benjamin Outpoints Angel Lozano
Light heavyweight Dante Benjamin (14-0-1, 9 KOs) defeated Angel Lozano (8-1, 6 KOs) by eight-round unanimous decision.
Benjamin began finding his range in the fourth round with long jabs and straight right hands. Lozano had moments in the sixth behind his own jab, but Benjamin finished the stronger fighter down the stretch.
The judges scored the bout 80-72, 78-74, and 77-75.
Delvin McKinley Outpoints Christian Chessa
Delvin McKinley (14-5-1, 13 KOs) scored a majority decision over Christian Chessa (6-1, 6 KOs) in a six-round bout between heavy punchers.
McKinley hurt Chessa in the second round with an uppercut that caused swelling beneath the Italian’s left eye. Chessa attempted to box and counter through the middle rounds, but McKinley’s pressure carried the closing rounds.
The judges scored the fight 57-57 and 58-56 twice for McKinley.
Kenyan Valle Outpoints Anel Dudo
Kenyan Valle (3-0, 1 KO) opened the broadcast with a six-round unanimous decision over Anel Dudo (4-7-1, 1 KO).
Valle began landing combinations after a cautious first round and gradually took control with cleaner punches. Dudo had moments with pressure and an uppercut that briefly troubled Valle, but the younger fighter’s accuracy secured the decision.
Judges scored the fight 59-55, 59-55, and 60-54.
