The wait was worth it, after three years of searching for the opportunity, Regis Prograis was crowned WBC super lightweight world champion by knocking out Mexican Jose Zepeda in 11 rounds.
In a 12-round fight in Carson, California, Prograis found the perfect combination to dominate and control a natural puncher, and eventually bowed him out and handed him his third loss.
However, the fight was not an easy one and Prograis himself acknowledged the difficulty in coming out on top.
"I want to take my hat off, Zepeda gave me the toughest fight of my career, he will be champion. Don't put your head down, you put up a great fight. The toughest of my 29 fights," said Rougarou still in the ring.
Zepeda started the fight at a very good pace, analyzing the weak points and throwing a couple of warning punches, but the strategy was not evolving and without releasing his fists the fight began to get complicated little by little.
Prograis with a lot of lateral movement, feints, and waist took the Mexican out of rhythm and took advantage to impose his timing.
With Zepeda's corner telling him that they were ahead on the scorecards, Chon did not adjust and when he felt the pressure in the final stretch of the fight he found himself with a combination impossible to assimilate and visited the canvas.
With the smell of blood in the air, Prograis went for a knockout and didn't stop until Zepeda went down again and the referee had to stop the fight.
At the end of the fight, after scoring the 28th win of his career, Prograis ruled out mentioning any of the fighters who could be on his list for the future, he assured that now it is their turn to go after the title he has just won.
Don't miss the minute-by-minute of the fight here.