Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela held backmost tears erstwhile helium saw his sanction and look emblazing the marquees that scatter crossed the Strip upon arriving past week for his Sunday nighttime fight. There was lone 1 happening amended than the opening of combat week for the erstwhile WBA ace lightweight champion.
How it ended.
Boxing astatine lightweight astatine the Chelsea wrong the The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Valenzuela punctuated Zuffa Boxing’s archetypal section paper extracurricular the Meta Apex by knocking retired Edwin De Los Santos — by whom helium was erstwhile stopped. His antagonistic close hook caught the Dominican flush successful the temple and sent him to a genu (after which helium popped him with a airy abbreviated left) and past to the canvas, prompting a 10-count from Thomas Taylor astatine the 2:05 people successful the 2nd round.
As the near-capacity assemblage howled with delight, Valenzuela (16-3, 10 knockouts) gleefully reveled successful revenge, dropping to his knees, past rising with joyousness arsenic De Los Santos (17-3, 15 KOs) came to respective seconds later. The rivals met astatine halfway ringing with the 26-year-old De Los Santos flashing his scale fingers, reflecting their grounds against 1 another.
Valenzuela called for a combat with 140-pound king (and pound-for-pound fixture) Shakur Stevenson.
Said the 27-year-old Mexican who resides successful Renton, Washington: “It was a beauteous acquisition for me. Just from the commencement of the week, seeing my sanction connected the large billboards down the Strip, it was a imagination travel true. … It truly motivated me, and past conscionable coming retired to this beauteous theater, antheral — the people, the ambiance was amazing.”
Valenzuela won his rubric successful 2024 by out-boxing Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, losing it past twelvemonth to Gary Antuanne Russell — preceding his woody with Zuffa Boxing. The startup promotion held its archetypal paper successful January and shares its office with UFC, tabbing the Apex for its archetypal six cards.
Its seventh was held successful this period successful Bournemouth, England, its eighth Sunday connected Las Vegas Boulevard.
The glitzy venue has agelong been a hub for boxing cards held by different banners, beryllium it Premier Boxing Champions — which presented Valenzuela’s nonaccomplishment to the De Los Santos — Matchroom Boxing, Top Rank oregon Golden Boy Promotions. Its capableness much than doubles the Apex and matches the hotel’s luxurious vibe, summoning scores of spectators, mostly dressed successful their Sunday best.
The eight-fight paper began astatine 2 p.m. and featured 5 preliminary bouts, allowing the venue to dilatory capable successful anticipation for the main paper connected Paramount+.
Cain Sandoval (18-1, 15 KOs) decisioned Brandun Lee (30-1, 23 KOs) successful a 10-round slugfest astatine welterweight and Omar Trinidad (21-0-2, 14 KOs) preserved his unbeaten grounds with a triumph astatine featherweight implicit erstwhile IBF ace flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (38-5-1, 25 KOs).
Zuffa frontman Dana White watched successful support from his ringside seat.
“This is simply a large venue. Great venue for fights,” said White, besides the UFC’s president, having promoted Power Slap shows astatine the Chelsea. “I similar it present and the fans were awesome tonight. But determination was a batch to get excited astir tonight. It was a large card.”
Valenzuela and De Los Santos made their ringwalks with the assemblage abuzz and summoned much cheers with first-round exchanges, ferociously foreshadowing the mode the combat finished. Valenzuela was sharper, faster and lighter connected his feet arsenic the matchup continued.
Not that it would past overmuch longer. He’d permission happy. The fans would, too.
“For Zuffa to instrumentality this pb (in Las Vegas extracurricular the Apex) with me, I took that with a batch of pride, man. I wanted to travel retired and amusement out,” Valenzuela said.
Contact Sam Gordon and sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected X.
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