Too much firepower.
Emanuel Navarrete blasted a game Christopher Diaz with a flurry of shots before planting a stiff right hook to the temple of his mandatory challenger. Diaz wobbled and careened to the canvas before his corner got up on the ring apron and ended the fight, giving Navarrete a 12th-round TKO to keep the WBO featherweight championship around his waist at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla. on Saturday night.
The decisive round, in which Navarrete landed 41 of 90 power shots, punctuated an absolutely dominant performance for Navarrete in his first title defense of the WBO featherweight strap.
The eighth round had Navarrete dropping Diaz twice — with a scintillating uppercut combination and flurry of punches. Earlier in the fourth, Navarrete lunged forward with a left uppercut that dropped Diaz with a thud as well.
Diaz was more than game and had plenty of heart, but Navarrete had way too much offense, detonating heavy-handed punches at a high volume and from different slicing angles to overwhelm his mandatory challenger.
Navarrete has teased moving up yet again, and from the looks of things, he certainly has the power to compete at 130 pounds.
Here's what happened at the Navarrete vs. Diaz main card.
Navarrete vs. Diaz card
- Emanuel Navarrete def. Christopher Diaz via 12th-round TKO to retain WBO Featherweight title
- Edgar Berlanga def. Demond Nicholson by unanimous decision (79-68, 79-69,79-69); Super Middleweights