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By: William Holmes
Philadelphia native Teon Kennedy took on Chris Martin in Las Vegas on ESPN Friday Night Fight’s main event. Both fighters are coming off a loss in their last fight. Also featured on tonight’s televised portion of the card was the undefeated Olympic bronze medalist Yordenis Ugas taking on Esteban Almaraz. Round by round results are as follows.
Photo Credit : Chris Farina – Top Rank
Yordenis Ugas (10-0) vs. Esteban Almaraz (10-4); Junior Welterweight
Round 1:
Ugas and Almaraz comes out to the center of the ring and Almaraz immediately throws a double jab at the guard of Ugas. Almaraz stays busy with his jab, and Ugas lands a jab to the body of Almaraz. Almaraz staying busy, and is keeping his jab in the face of Ugas. Ugas lands a two punch combination and the right cross knocks Almaraz down. Almaraz gets a standing eight count and gets tagged with a hard straight right hand. Ugas lands another hard right hand and follows it up with a jab to the body. Ugas lands a two punch combination and a right uppercut. Ugas slips a two punch combination from Almaraz. Ugas lands another hard overhand right on Almaraz. Ugas gets warned to keep his punches up. Ugas lands another hard right hand on Almaraz. 10-8 round for Ugas.
Round 2:
Ugas starts off round two by landing a jab to the body and easily blocking the punches of Almaraz. Almaraz throws a combination at the body of Ugas. Ugas pawing his jab at the face of Almaraz tring to gage his distance. Almaraz is staying active with his jab, but most of his punches continue to be blocked by Ugas. Ugas lands another hard straight right hand. Almaraz is throwing a lot of jabs, but Ugas is easily blocking them with his guard. Ugas lands a short left hook upstairs. Almaraz lands a solid stiff jab on Ugas. Ugas doubles up his jab and lands on Almaraz. Ugas lands a stiff jab and barely misses with his right hand. Almaraz stayed busier than Ugas, but Ugas lands the harder shots. 10-9 round for Ugas.
Round 3:
Ugas continues to stay patient and starts off round three by using his jab more. A jab from Ugas snaps the head back of Almaraz. Ugas easily slips another three punch combination from Almaraz. Almaraz lands two hooks to the body of Ugas. Almaraz throws a two punch combination at Ugas that is easily blocked. The jabs from Almaraz are blocked, but the jabs from Ugas land. Almaraz lands one of his jabs to the chin of Ugas. Ugas lands a hard straight right hand to the body of Almaraz. Ugas lands a two punch combination on the body of Almaraz. Another hard jab lands to the body of Almaraz. Ugas follows that up with a hard straight right to the body. Ugas lands a solid two punch combination upstairs, and Almaraz answers with a hard body shot. A body shot from Ugas appears to have hurt Almaraz. Round ends with Ugas landing a solid straight left hand. 10-9 Ugas.
Round 4:
Ugas keeps his guard high again and Almaraz bangs punches against his defense. Ugas keeps his jab at the body of Almaraz. Ugas lands a reaching left hook upstairs. Almaraz lands a good jab on Ugas, and bangs punches at the body of Ugas. Ugas comes forward and lands a hard two punch combination, and Almaraz lands two left hooks to the body of Ugas. Ugas continues to land solid jabs to the body of Almaraz. Two punches from Ugas is blocked by Almaraz. Ugas is starting to mix his jab combinations between the head and body. Referee warns the fighters about a clash of heads. Almaraz throws a two punch combination on Ugas that is easily blocked again. Almaraz is staying busier this round, and throwing a lot more comibnations. 10-9 round for Almaraz just because he stayed busier.
Round 5:
Almaraz starts off the fifth round by continuing to stay busy with his jab and combinations. Ugas is blocking most of Almaraz’s punches. Ugas lands a solid jab on Almaraz. Ugas lands a jab to the body and a straight right hand upstairs. Ugas lands a jab upstairs and then to the body. Almaraz continues to bang at the guard of Ugas, but is not landing much. Ugas lands a right hook to the body of Almaraz. Almaraz is having a hard time solving the defense of Ugas. Ugas lands a jab to the body of Almaraz again, and counters Almaraz with a solid straight right hand. Ugas lands a double jab on Almaraz after blocking a combination from Almaraz. Ugas lands a straight right hand to the body of Almaraz as the round comes to an end. 10-9 round for Ugas.
Round 6:
Almaraz is staying active and throwing a lot of punches, but still has not landed many significant punches. A straight right from Ugas lands. Ugas lands a good right hook to the body of Almaraz. Ugas bangs a hard straight right at the body of Almaraz. Ugas lands another straight right hand to the body of Almaraz. Ugas slips a punch from Almaraz and lands a left hook. A straight right hand lands from Almaraz on Ugas. Ugas answers with a stiff jab, and a two punch combination upstairs. Almaraz lands a decent left hook. Ugas appears to blocking nearly 90% of punches from Almaraz. Close round, 10-9 Ugas.
Round 7:
Ugas lands a jab to the body after his jab upstairs is blocked. Ugas lands a decent straight right hand. Almaraz lands a two punch combination to the body and head of Ugas. Ugas lands another good overhand right. Almaraz lands a decent hook to the body. Ugas has been landing decent jabs to the body of Almaraz all night long. Ugas connects with a lead right hand. Ugas is starting to throw harder punches and he lands a good two punch combination. Ugas connects with another stiff jab on Almaraz. Ugas lands a good lead left uppercut, and Almaraz right eye is swelling up. Ugas lands three punches upstairs in a row. 10-9 round for Ugas.
Round 8:
Almaraz’s punches are easily blocked by Ugas. Ugas lands a stiff jab upstairs and a good right hand downstairs. Ugas lands a two punch combination upstairs. Ugas connects with a good right hand upstairs, and blocks five punches from Almaraz with ease. Almaraz lands a short right hook upstairs. Ugas uses his reach to land another jab to the body of Almaraz. Almaraz has blood on the right side of his face, and he eats a two punch combination from Almaraz. Almaraz accidentally head-butts Ugas, and the referee momentarily stops the fight to give the fighters time to recover. Ugas lands three stiff jabs on Almaraz. Ugas connects with a two punch combination and then a right cross to the body. Both fighters are starting to let loose more, and Ugas is landing the harder punches. 10-9 round for Ugas.
Official scores are 79-72, 79-72, 80-71 for Yordenis Ugas.
Teon Kennedy (17-1-1) vs. Christopher Martin (23-1-2); Super Bantamweight
Round 1:
Kennedy and Martin come out to the center of the ring, and Kennedy throws a jab to the body of Martin. Martin lands a lead left hook upstairs. Kennedy almost traps martin by the ropes, but Maritn clinches and escapes. Kennedy lands a combination on Martin. Kennedy lands a short hook to the body of Martin. Martin lands a jab upstairs, and Kennedy answers with a jab of his own. Martin lands a lead right uppercut on Kennedy. Martin easily slips the punches of Kennedy by the ropes. Martin lands a left hook upstairs, and escapes from the corner. Kennedy misses with a right hook. Martin blocks two punches from Kennedy. Martin lands a straight right upstairs and a hook to the body. Martin lands a decent jab at the chin of Kennedy. Martin lands a straight right hand to the body of Kennedy. 10-9 round for Martin.
Round 2:
Kennedy comes forward with his double jab and has Martin backing up. Kennedy lands a decent jab, and comes forward landing a left hook to the body. Martin lands a hook to the body and uppercut. Martin lands a stiff jab, and Kennedy lands two hooks to the body. Kennedy lands a straight right hand. Kennedy lands a short left hook by the ropes. Martin lands two short uppercuts that are blocked, and Kennedy goes to the body with his left hand. Kennedy follows it up with two more hooks to the body of Martin. Kennedy lands a decent jab to the body of Martin. Kennedy continues to stalk Martin, and lands shots to the body of Martin. 10-9 round for Kennedy, but a very close round.
Round 3:
Kennedy comes back forward with a double jab but Martin is able to block it. Kennedy lands two short left hooks on Martin. Martin bangs a left hook at the guard of Kennedy. Kennedy bangs at the body of Martin by the ropes, but eats a jab in the process. Kennedy lands two more short shots, but Martin lands a harder left hook upstairs. Kennedy is doing some serious work on the body of Martin. Kennedy lands a good body head combination on Martin by the ropes that gets the crowd’s attention. Kennedy lands another double left hook on Martin. Kennedy gets warned for low blows as he continues his work on the body of Martin. Martin lands two consecutive jabs on Kennedy near the end of the round. 10-9 round for Kennedy.
Round 4:
Fighters start off round four and are clinched by the corner. Kennedy continues to come forward with a double jab, and gets warned for another possible low blow. Martin is staying light on his feet, and lands a good straight right hand. Martin lands a decent left uppercut on Kennedy. Kennedy has Martin trapped near the corner and lands a good right uppercut and a left hand at the body. Kennedy throws a left hook combination to the body and head of Martin that connects upstairs. Martin lands a good left hand to the body and upstairs. Martin lands another hard left hand upstairs and a right uppercut. Kennedy throws a short combination to the body of Martin that partially lands. Martin lands a solid right uppercut on Kennedy. Kennedy was the busier fighter, but Martin landed the harder shots. 10-9 round for Martin.
Round 5:
Kennedy comes forward staying behind his jab. Kennedy has Martin trapped near the corner again and works the body of Martin. A two punch combination from Kennedy is partially blocked by Martin. Kennedy lands short uppercuts to the body of Martin. Kennedy has Martin near the ropes and finishes a combination with a good right hand. Martin spins out of the ropes and lands a decent straight right hand. Martin sticks a jab to the face of Kennedy. Kennedy has Martin stuck near the corner again and lands more short combinations. Martin lands a stiff jab on Kennedy, but Kennedy continues to come forward mixing up short hooks to the body and upstairs. Kennedy is working a nice double hook to the body and head of Martin. Kennedy continues to stay in tight on Martin and working the body. 10-9 round for Kennedy.
Round 6:
Kennedy keeps his jab in the face of Martin, but eats a solid jab from Martin. Kennedy works a short combination on Martin near the ropes and Martin then clinches. Fighters separate and Kennedy continues to come forward, and Kennedy lands a decent left hook upstairs. Kennedy continues to work a double jab and lands a good left hook upstairs on Martin. Kennedy lands a lead left hook, and blcoks a two punch combination from Martin. Kennedy has Martin trapped near the ropes but Martin is able to eascape and lands a straight right hand. Kennedy bangs at the body of Martin whenever they are near the ropes. Martin lands a decent right hand to the body of Kennedy. Kennedy lands a decent straight right hand. Kennedy lands a nice lead uppercut, but Martin ends the round strong. 10-9 round for Kennedy.
Round 7:
Kennedy eats a jab from Martin as he comes forward. Martin lands two more jabs to the nose of Kennedy. Kennedy comes forward with more double jabs but eats a straight right hand for Martin. Kennedy lands a straight right hand and bangs at Martin with body shots. Kennedy has Martin near the corner again and continues to bang at the body of Martin. Martin lands a stuff jab, but Kennedy continues to move forward with body blows and short hooks. Kennedy lands a nice two punch combination on Martin. Kennedy lands a good two punch combination, but gets warned again for low blows. Martin comes forward with combinations and Kennedy slips to the ground, the referee rules it is not a knockdown. Another close and difficult round to score, 10-9 for Kennedy.
Round 8:
Kennedy lands a jab at the beginning of round eight, and has Martin backing up. Kennedy eats a left hook from Martin, but Kennedy continues to smother Martin. Kennedy lands a decent jab to the chin of Martin, and lands some short soft uppercuts to Martin. Martin bangs at the defense of a combinations, and Kennedy stays busier with short uppercuts to the body of Martin. Kennedy continues to smother Martin, but Martin lands a hard right uppercut. Kennedy does not seem fazed by any of Martin’s punches and still comes forward. Kennedy lands a two punch combination on Martin. Kennedy lands two hard hooks to the body of Martin by the corner, and martin answers with hard left hands. A solid left uppercut lands for Kennedy near the corner. Kennedy lands another short combination on Martin near the ropes. 10-9 round for Kennedy.
Round 9:
Kennedy lands a short left uppercut on Maritn near the center of the ring. Kennedy smothers Martin again, and bangs at the body of Martin. Martin lands a good uppercut on Kennedy, and Kennedy acts like the punches do not phase him and continues to bang at the body of Martin. Kennedy continues to bang at the body of Martin and tries to trap him by the ropes. Martin is landing better shots inside on Kennedy this round, but Kennedy is not phased by the punches of Martin. Martin lands a short left hand and overhand right. Kennedy lands a four punch combination near the center of the ring, mainly to the body. Martin lands a good two punch combination upstairs on Kennedy. Kennedy has some swelling underneath his right eye. 10-9 round for Kennedy in another close one.
Round 10:
Crowd cheers the fighters as the last round begins. Martin is letting his lands loose, but Kennedy stays in tight , and lands several short shots to the body of Martin. Martin lands a hard straight right hand on Kennedy, but Kennedy walks right through it. Martin lands a two punch combination and a good left hook. Martin lands a double right hand that includes an uppercut. Martin lands a good left hand on Kennedy, and Kennedy shakes off the punch and lands a good left uppercut on the inside. Kennedy catches Martin with a left hand upstairs near the ropes, and is probably Kennedy’s best punch of the night. Kennedy lands another good left hand, but eats two uppercuts from Martin. Kennedy has Martin trapped near the ropes again and lands several short shots. Another very close round, 10-9 for Kennedy.
Official scores are 97-93 Kennedy, 95-95, 95-95 making the fight a majority draw.
