Rafael Espinosa is now the WBO featherweight champion in a thrilling upset against Robeisy Ramirez. The path to the win was not easy. The technique, heart and conditioning that both of these fighters shown was beyond anything else seen this year. Espinosa had only 11 amateur fights prior to becoming professional. Ramirez was a decorated amateur so their styles and upbringings on paper could not have been any more different.
Espinosa Sweeps First 4 Rounds
For the first portion of the fight, Espinosa pretty much swept rounds one through 4 even the fifth arguably, but the clear amount of power coming from Robeisy at the end of the 5th placed the then champion right back into the fight. Stunned, Espinosa was saved by the bell after standing up for the 10 count. Still, the score was 4 to 1 in terms of rounds won.
Robeisy Surges – Takes Control For Middle Rounds
In the next set of rounds, 6, 7 and 8, Robeisy gained positioning in the fight. Thudding right hooks and left straights were connecting against the lanky Espinosa. Those single shots were stumbling Espinosa, who claims that his left foot was actually broken in the 2nd round. Injuries, dislocations are common in this brutally demanding sport. There’s no reason to question the fact that Robeisy was also injured from his right hand at one point. At any rate, the single shots and evasiveness of Robeisy for this portion of the fight got him right back into contention.
Later, as the fight progressed, from rounds 9 to 11, the rounds could be swung either way, but Espinosa did something that continued to befuddle Ramirez: he threw more combinations, embracing the qualities typical of this weight class. Volume over power can sap the energy of any fighter, even one as impressive as Robeisy.
Ultimately, as Espinosa again started to outbox the amateur prodigy that is Robeisy with pure volume and technique of his own, the fight did not really get into his hands until the 12th round. Mentally, this must have been quite difficult for Espinosa to remain focused despite having been dropped earlier. Espinosa was able to press forward and knocked down Robeisy Ramirez. This last knockdown sealed the deal. In the last 2 rounds, Espinosa threw over 100 punches, showing extreme conditioning.
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