Anthony Olascuaga managed to retain his WBO flyweight title tonight, but Yuberjen Martinez made him earn every single second of it, going down in the final seconds of the twelfth round and still making the judges work for their decision. Martinez, a skilled former Olympic silver medalist, proved he had more upset potential than anyone expected, turning what could have been a routine defense into an absolute nail-biter.
Olascuaga Holds On: The Flyweight Slugfest Nobody Expected
Martinez found himself on the canvas in the final seconds of the fight, a knockdown that came after a relentless back and forth. Despite hitting the deck, he beat the count, and the fight went to the cards with everyone ringside thinking it was incredibly close. And close it was: Olascuaga won by unanimous decision with scores of 115-112, 115-112, and a truly wild 114-113. Martinez was hurt by a body shot in the eighth round, forcing him to retreat as Olascuaga stalked him, but he made it to the bell. Entering round six, Martinez found his confidence, letting his hands go with increased frequency and turning it into a real fight. Olascuaga had a lot of success with power punching throughout, clearly affecting Martinez. In the second round, Martinez even made a stand, throwing a lot of punches until Olascuaga baited him into a counter offensive that made him back off. From the first round, Olascuaga came out throwing hard shots to the head and body, with Martinez willing to try to match him in spots. What a battle!
Pacheco’s Perfect Record on the Line
With the undercard delivering serious drama, all eyes now turn to the main event. Super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco is set to return to action tonight against Darius Fulghum in Carson, California. Pacheco, holding a flawless 26-0 record with 19 knockouts, is no stranger to this venue, having stopped Immanuwel Aleem here back in July. He’s looking to close out his year in the ring with another win to keep that perfect run intact. Fulghum, however, comes in with a 15-1-1 record and 13 KOs. He’s had his share of “speed bumps” over the last year and a half, but he’s coming off a May win, so don’t sleep on him. This is the moment for Pacheco to truly cap off his year on top.
The Undercard: Dominance and Duds
Before the main event fireworks, we saw a few other fights. Charlie Sheehy secured a unanimous decision victory over Jose Matias Romero with dominant scores of 100-90 across all three cards. Sheehy clearly won, even stunning Romero several times, but just couldn’t find that stoppage. Romero, to his credit, put in a heck of an effort and was a willing combatant, throwing hard shots despite taking heavy blows from Sheehy that left him with shaky legs. Then there was David Adeleye versus Alexander Flores. Adeleye also won by unanimous decision, 100-89 across the board, but apparently injured his bicep during the fight. Honestly, the ringside chatter called it an “absolute waste of time fight.” Flores was visibly scared of Adeleye from the opening bell, tentative and defensive, looking to disengage more than throw back. Adeleye even dropped Flores in the third with a hard jab, but he couldn’t find a way to finish.
As the night continues in Carson, California, the tension is palpable for Pacheco’s big moment. He’s got to stay sharp, stay focused, and keep that perfect record flawless. This fight against Fulghum is huge for his trajectory.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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