The fifth edition of Zuffa Boxing took place this Sunday at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, featuring eight bouts that showcased both emerging talent and established fighters.
In the main event, undefeated Andres Cortes (25-0, 13 KOs) of Nevada, defeated Eridson Garcia (23-2, 14 KOs) of the Dominican Republic by unanimous decision in a 10 round lightweight contest. Cortes controlled the pace throughout the fight, maintaining distance and landing accurate punches.
Garcia attempted to counter with pressure but had a point deducted in the fourth round for holding, as determined by referee Thomas Taylor. The judges awarded Cortes the victory with scores of 97-92, 96-93, and 95-94, reinforcing his status as a top lightweight prospect.
In the co-main event, former Filipino champion Mark Magsayo (29-2, 19 KOs) stopped Irish fighter Feargal McCrory (17-2, 9 KOs) in the fifth round. McCrory’s corner stopped the fight at 0:21 of the round after Magsayo controlled the action from the opening rounds. This bout marked Magsayo’s first appearance in the lightweight division.
The main card opener featured a standout performance by Alexis De la Cerda (8-0, 4 KOs), who demolished Ervin Fuller III (12-1, 6 KOs) in the third round of a featherweight bout. Despite being the less experienced fighter, De la Cerda delivered a career-defining victory with a one-shot counter right hand that ended the fight instantly.
Fuller, using his Philly Shell, had taken the first and second rounds and displayed defensive awareness, ducking beneath a left hook and attempting to throw his own punch. However, De la Cerda’s counter caught him off guard, sending him face-down to the canvas. De la Cerda barely celebrated the finish, letting the result speak for itself.
Also on the main card, Azat Hovhannisyan (23-6, 17 KOs) defeated Eduardo Baez (25-8-2, 10 KOs) by majority decision. On the preliminary card, Tony Hirsch Jr. (8-0-2, 4 KOs) overcame long odds to out-point American prospect Robert Meriwether III (10-1, 4 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout, securing a majority decision with scores of 76-76, 77-75, and 78-74.
In welterweight action, Jorge Maravillo (12-0-1, 9 KOs) defeated Elias Diaz (15-4, 8 KOs) by fifth-round TKO after scoring a knockdown and landing consecutive punches, with the referee stopping the contest at 2:46. Finally, Troy Nash (7-0-1, 1 KO) defeated Bryan Rodriguez (8-2, 1 KO) by majority decision in an eight-round featherweight bout.
In addition, post fight bonuses were awarded to select fighters for their performances on the card. The bout between Robert Meriwether III and Tony Hirsch Jr. was named Fight of the Night, while Mark Magsayo and Alexis De la Cerda each received Performance of the Night honors. All four fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses
The event at Meta APEX confirmed Zuffa Boxing as a reliable platform for the development of rising boxers and a competitive stage for established fighters, combining decision victories and knockouts in a well organized fight card.
