By: William Holmes
Top Rank put on a fight card live from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California on the ESPN+ streaming service.
The undercard featured several prospects and contenders, including Genesis Servania, Askhat Ualikhanov, Janibek Alimkhanuly, and Joshua Greer Jr.
The opening bout of the main card was between Jerwin Ancajas (30-1-1) and Alejandro Santiago (16-2-4) for the IBF Junior Bantamweight Title. Ancajas looks at Manny Pacquiao as a mentor and is the longest reigning current champion in the junior bantamweight division.
Ancajas, a southpaw, was the taller fighter of the two and had moderate success with the jab in the opening round, and was pressing the action in the opening half of the second, but a right uppercut to the chin by Santiago in the second led to a fierce round ending exchange.
Photo Credit: Top Rank Twitter Account
The action picked up in the third and fourth rounds, with Santiago often getting the better of their exchanges. Santiago landed a blistering right hand in the fourth round that was the best punch of the fight to this point.
Santiago landed several hard shots in the fifth round but Ancajas may have stolen the sixth and seventh rounds with a consistent and accurate jab, but none of his shots appeared to hurt Santiago.
In the eighth round compubox stats showed that Ancajas had landed more power shots, but Santiago’s had a more noticeable effect on his opponent. Santiago’s overhand right found it’s home several times in the ninth round, and even though he was tagged more often in the tenth, he still appeared to be landing the more damaging shots.
The final two rounds were close, with the straight left of Ancajas finding its home in the eleventh and Santiago doing better damage in close in the final round, but could have rationally been scored for either fight.
The final scores were 116-112 Ancajas, 118-111 Santiago, and 114-114 for a draw. The scores were met with a chorus of boos from the crowd.
The main event was between Jose Uzcategui (27-2) and Ezequiel Maderna (26-4) in the super middleweight division.
Uzcategui looked like the stronger fighter early on and had Maderna fighting of of his back food. Maderna was able to land his check left hook early on, but Uzcategui was clearly landing the harder punches.
Uzcategui was walking throw the shots of Maderna in the second and third round while landing heavy blows to the head and chin. In the middle of the third round he had a 31-11 edge in power shots.
Uzcategui pressed the action in the fourth and fifth rounds, and didn’t appear to be worried about the power of Maderna at all as he at times switched to a southpaw stance.
Photo Credit: Top Rank Twitter Account
Uzcategui had clear control in the sixth and seventh rounds, but was met with some derision from the fans when the fighters tied up instead of willingly exchange. Maderna, to his credit, was taking some heavy shots form Uzcategui but was still fighting back.
Uzcategui appeared to step off the gas pedal in the eighth and coasted through the round, but he picked up his aggression in the final two rounds, landing heavy shots at will from all angles, but Maderna was able to stay standing and survive.
The final scores were 98-92, 100-90, and 100-90 for Jose Uzcategui.