Subriel Matias fulfills his promise to strike and stands as the IBF Lightweight World Champion

Puerto Rican Subriel Matias kept his word, knocking out Argentine Jeremias Ponce in the fifth round and winning the vacant IBF lightweight title on Saturday at The Armory in Minneapolis, MN.

“I wasn’t surprised they stopped the fight,” said the Puerto Rican fighter who improved his record to 19-1-0 and 19 KOs and joined Jonathan Gonzalez (light flyweight) as the sole current world champion (men). nationality.

The decision came when the Argentine corner decided that the fighter would not go out for the sixth round, after he got a count of less than 20 seconds after the end of the fifth round.

“I wanted to knock him out for sixth. But his corner made the decision before,” said Matthias, 30. “He’s very strong for the first four rounds, but I let him work and didn’t rush him.”

Pons’ strategy of coming out to squeeze from the first second of the fight didn’t diminish the strength of the new champion, who withstood the bombing of South America and started warming up his engines.

There was a moment at the end of the third round when Matias gave a calming signal to his corner, as if he expected that everything was under control and that his opponent’s blows, despite the sound, did not affect him.

Thus, in a give and take, they both reached the end of the fifth round when a left hand made Puerto Rican Ponce lose his balance and he tripped and eventually fell to the canvas.

At the end of the count, there were six seconds left and Matthias did not have time to finish it. The bell saved Pons, but his corner considered that the blows he had received were enough and asked referee Mark Nelson to end the contest.

“My corner knows me better than anyone else. And sometimes it’s better to make a decision a minute early than a minute later,” Pons admitted, not only losing the chance to win the title, but also giving up his unbeaten record (30-1). -0, 20 ku). “I wanted to continue.”

Palmetto tried, but James’ beauty was just too much

Argentine Alberto Palmeta lost his second fight as a professional, this time by unanimous decision against American Jamal James in the welterweight category.

There was no discussion. The judges’ votes were 99-91, 98-92, and 98-92, which was a clear reflection of what the fight was like.

“A lot of people saw the rest taking its toll on me. I was a little rusty, but in the end I managed to find my rhythm and just followed as the corner ordered,” said James, who last fought on October 30, 2021. “I think I won the fight, but I think I can do better, be stronger. My goal is to fight for a world title.”

Pressing up, Palmetta, 5’7″ (1.70m), tried to block North, 6’2″ (1.88m), but his effort was unsuccessful because James had established from the start where the fight was: the long distance.

Strikes by jab, breaking out of the confrontation in close quarters and waist movements, were the weapons with which James imposed terms.

Palmeta, 32, now has a record of 18-2-0.13 KO.

Elvis Rodriguez’s controversial solution to the Joseph Adorno problem

In a rather dull fight until the sixth round, Dominican Elvis Rodriguez stepped on the gas to solve by majority decision the crossword puzzle that Boricua Joseph Adorno put to him in an ultra-lightweight bout.

The judges voted 94-94, 95-93 and 97-91 in favor of the Dominican who improved his career record to 14-1-1, 12 KOs.

After hearing the verdict, the winner said: “I learned a lot in this fight. I haven’t fought in a long time.” “I found it with the hook, and from there I found the distance. I give Adorno so much credit for putting up the fight.”

Sure enough, that short right hook in the seventh forced the referee to give Adorno a protection count with no telling how he managed to stay on his feet.

From there began the search for the Dominican who could not complete the victory on the fast track because of the bravery of a Puerto Rican fighter who took a second wind and did not give up.

There were two controversial knockdowns in the bout. At first the Dominican fell and referee John Schurrley was deemed a slip and in round 12, an apparent slip by Adorno counted as a legal knockdown. Based on the referees’ reports, the two highly questionable referee decisions hurt the Puerto Rican fighter who now scored 17-2-2, 14 KOs.

“I want to be more active this year, and I don’t want to go too long without a fight,” Rodriguez confirmed.

The results: February 25 at The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Showtime)

• Subriel Matías G (TKO-5/12) Jeremías Ponce, wins the IBF Ultralight title

Jamal James G (DU-10/10) Alberto Palmetta, welterweight

• Kudratilo Abd Khorov P (DU-10/10) Watch Sean Owens, Welterweight

• Elvis Rodriguez G (DM-10/10) Joseph Adorno, Very Lightweight

• Derek Jackson P (KO-1/8) Willie Jones, welterweight

• Kyle Spencer G (KO-1/4) Margarito Hernandez is very lightweight