Navarrete Wins Bloodbath Over Suarez, Muratalla Dominates As Lightweight Chaos Brews

Navarrete Gets Technical Decision After Vicious Head Clash

Emanuel Navarrete kept his WBO junior lightweight title on Saturday night in San Diego — but the win didn’t come how he planned.

After seven rounds of wild swings, broken noses, and blood everywhere, the fight was waved off at the start of Round 8 due to a deep gash over Navarrete’s left eye. Referee Edward Collantes ruled it an accidental headbutt. The cards read 77-76 twice and 78-75. Navarrete stays champ. But it wasn’t clean. And it wasn’t pretty.

Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) started fast, throwing wild rights and looping left hooks that bloodied Charly Suarez’s nose in the opening round. Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs), to his credit, stayed composed and landed some slick counters. But it never felt like he had full control.

The cut came in the sixth. The bleeding got worse in the seventh. By Round 8, the ringside doc said enough.

“It’s that warrior spirit of being a Mexican that helped us today,” Navarrete said after the fight. “I knew from the moment of impact it was a headbutt — it split my eyebrow.”

Suarez handled it like a pro.

“I’m sad right now, but that’s part of the game,” he said. “I want a rematch.”

Let’s hope they run it back — this one was just getting nasty.

---

Muratalla Dismantles Abdullaev, Calls Out Lomachenko

Raymond Muratalla just sent a message to the lightweight division.

The Southern California product (23-0, 17 KOs) put on a clinic against Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs), sweeping the cards (119-109 x2, 118-110) to win the vacant interim IBF lightweight title.

Muratalla boxed smart, sharp, and clean. Jab, angle, pop, out. Abdullaev tried to get going late, but by then it was a sparring session with a live crowd.

“He was tough, but I picked him apart,” Muratalla said. “Now I’m mandatory for Lomachenko — and I want that fight.”

He’s earned it.

---

Cortes Cruises, Santillan Exorcises Demons, Hernandez Gets Tested

Andres Cortes (23-0, 12 KOs) returned from an 11-month layoff and pitched a shutout against Salvador Jimenez (14-2-1, 6 KOs). It wasn’t flashy, but it was clean. Scores: 100-90 twice and 99-91.

Giovani Santillan (34-1, 18 KOs) got revenge over the building where he was stopped last year, beating Angel Beltran (18-3, 11 KOs) via three identical 97-93 cards. Not a thriller, but a necessary win.

Tijuana’s Sebastian Hernandez (20-0, 18 KOs) was pushed hard by Azat Hovhannisyan (21-6, 17 KOs) but pulled away late to win 98-91 across the board. Hovhannisyan landed some heavy shots, but Hernandez went the full 10 for the first time and didn’t blink.

---

Undercard: Garcia Recovers, Bazaldua Shines, Soto Bout Cut Short

Alan Garcia (16-1, 11 KOs) survived a shaky second round to outpoint Cristian Medina (8-3-1, 5 KOs) over eight rounds. Scores: 79-73 all around.

Top Rank debutant Perla Bazaldua (2-0, 1 KO) made light work of Mona Ward (0-2), dominating all four rounds. Scores: 40-36 x3.

Sebastian Soto (7-0, 7 KOs) vs. Colleen Davis ended in a no contest after two rounds due to a nasty clash of heads.

Sammy Contreras (2-0, 1 KO) shut out Dyllon Cervantes Alvarado (4-6-1, 2 KOs) across four clean rounds. Scores: 40-36 x3.

---

Full Fight Results

• WBO junior lightweight title: Emanuel Navarrete def. Charly Suarez – Technical Decision (77-76 x2, 78-75)

• Interim IBF lightweight title: Raymond Muratalla def. Zaur Abdullaev – Unanimous Decision (119-109 x2, 118-110)

• Junior lightweight: Andres Cortes def. Salvador Jimenez – Unanimous Decision (100-90 x2, 99-91)

• Welterweight: Giovani Santillan def. Angel Beltran – Unanimous Decision (97-93 x3)

• Junior featherweight: Sebastian Hernandez def. Azat Hovhannisyan – Unanimous Decision (98-91 x3)

• Lightweight: Alan Garcia def. Cristian Medina – Unanimous Decision (79-73 x3)

• Junior bantamweight: Perla Bazaldua def. Mona Ward – Unanimous Decision (40-36 x3)

• Super bantamweight: Sebastian Soto vs. Colleen Davis – No Contest (accidental headbutt)

• Junior welterweight: Sammy Contreras def. Dyllon Cervantes Alvarado – Unanimous Decision (40-36 x3)