Rodriguez Wins The Vacant IBF Bantamweight Belt, Drops Lopez Three Times In The Process

November 15, 2023
8 months

Emmanuel Rodriguez grabbed the vacant IBF bantamweight title after dropping Melvin Lopez three times in a unanimous-decision victory. 

Both fighters started the fight with their jab in an attempt to establish their dominance.

Rodriguez began to land the more telling shots, as he connected with a combination on Lopez’s chin in the second.

The former began to outwork his opponent, as Emmanuel was clearly on top. Although that may have been the case, a clash of heads resulted in Rodriguez’s eye swelling up.

The incident was not deemed a headbutt, as the officials ruled the damage due to the punches. In the second half of the fight, Lopez fared a little better.

In the sixth, he used his jab and countered Emmanuel with a left hand on his chin. Rodriguez’s swelling on the right eye only got bigger.  

Rodriguez fought back in the eight, with a four-punch combination to get the momentum back. As the fight entered the championship rounds, Rodriguez came to the fore.

The former threw numerous combinations, as he pinned Lopez on the ropes to drop him three times. 

Despite Lopez beating the count and making it to the final bell, it was a comfortable victory for Emmanuel on the scorecards: 120-105, 120-105, and 120-105.

Comments

“It was really six months in Mexico away from my family, working to make this possible. So five years ago I was champion. It took five years, but now I am champion again.

“My corner was very calm about [my eye]. It was a headbutt in the second round that I felt. I felt the inflammation round by round but the corner did their job on maintaining the calm and saying that I was ok.

“Maybe [I had issues seeing] for a couple of seconds in the second round straight after the headbutt…but that was the only time. I felt great,” Rodriguez

Full Card

Emmanuel Rodriguez def. Melvin Lopez via a unanimous decision: 120-105, 120-105, 120-105

Gary Antuanne Russell def. Kent Cruz via a first-round KO

Gabriel Maestre def. Travon Marshall via a first-round KO

Damien Vazquez def. Jeronil Borres via a sixth-round TKO

Jose Benavidez Jr def. Sladan Janjanin via a fifth-round TKO

Michael Angeletti def. Jonathan Lopez Marcano via a unanimous decision -80-72, 79-73, 79-73

Jesse Hart def. Elio Heraldo Trosch via a second-round TKO

Marcus Browne def. Adrian Taylor via a unanimous decision

David A. Whitmire def. Jordy Tientcheu via a fourth-round TKO

Daniel Blancas def. Devaun Lee via a a unanimous decision

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