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Welterweight contender Alexis ‘Lex’ Rocha 19-1 (13) scored a ninth-round stoppage over fellow contender Blair ‘The Flair’ Cobbs 15-1-1 (10) at the USC Galen Center in Los Angeles, California on Saturday night.
The all-southpaw battle got off to a flying start with each boxer trying to assert their authority. In the third round a jab from Cobbs opened up a cut over Rocha’s right eye but the 24-year-old Californian continued to press forward, rocking Cobbs with some power shots.
In the fifth round, Rocha caught Cobbs with a combination that visibly hurt him as he retreated in an effort to avoid a continued attack from Rocha.
By the sixth round, Cobbs had recovered as he tried to distance himself and use a jab to set up his shots. But Rocha was relentless and continued his attack, dropping Cobbs to the canvas in the eighth round and overwhelming him at the 44 second count of the ninth, winning the fight by knockout in a 10-round welterweight main event.
“I got the knockout but I know I could’ve done better,” said IBF number 10 ranked 147-pounder Rocha. “It took me quite a while to adjust. He was running, very awkward at first. This is what I need so I can develop as an all around fighter.
“It took me awhile since I wasn’t listening to my coach. I was getting careless, only throwing one shot, not cutting the ring and not throwing my combinations. I could have gotten him out of there sooner. I just want to give a big shoutout to everyone from Santa Ana.
“The only round that I actually let my hands go I followed him up. That’s what put him down, me throwing combinations.
“I want to give Blair credit. He was a tough opponent, he was awkward and he did a lot of trash talking but you don’t play with Mexico. Viva Mexico!”
The 32-year-old Cobbs, who has been marketed heavily as the new face of the welterweight division, was gracious in defeat despite all of the pre-fight trash talk.
“He was just a good fighter today,” said Cobbs. “I was impressed by the way he came out. He got me with some pretty good shots. He got me in the later rounds very good so shout-out to him and his team.
“I was throwing shots but I wasn’t following up with them. I just couldn’t recover and figure it out in time to take over the fight. He did a tremendous job. I just wanted to give a shout-out to everyone that came out and I promise that Blair ‘The Flair’ will be back.”
Cobbs and Rocha shared a common opponent in Brad Solomon. Cobbs stopped Solomon in five, while Rocha won over the 10-round distance.
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