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Add FightsATW on GoogleZuffa Boxing 08 produced a highlight-reel knockout in the main event between Edwin De Los Santos and Jose Valenzuela in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday night, but the topic of discussion today is the punch that was thrown and landed on De Los Santos’ neck while he was down on one knee. Fighters First Management CEO Adrian Clark told FightsATW that he will be submitting a formal complaint with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) over the clear foul.
It was the rematch that had the oddsmakers bouncing back and forth on who would be the betting favorite. De Los Santos (17-3, 15 KOs) was coming into fight night with a September 2022 TKO victory over Valenzuela (16-3, 10 KOs), which added to the anticipation. On fight night, while getting ready in the locker room, De Los Santos’ manager, Clark, told FightsATW that there was already a sense in the air from his fighter about the possibility of Thomas Taylor being the referee for his fight.
“What’s crazy is that Edwin made a comment saying he didn’t want Thomas (Taylor) to referee the fight. So when he (Taylor walked in, it was like ‘oh.’ So Edwin already had his reservations. I don’t know if he was being funny, but I’m pretty sure he was serious. Edwin had said something before, but we never thought it would end with something controversial.”
It was fight time, and after the bell rang, De Los Santos and Valenzuela came out firing, a scene that closely resembled their 2022 fight. Clark, watching from ringside, shared his thoughts on what was unfolding inside the ring.
“In the first round, I liked the exchanges. He did get caught at the end of the first round, and that kinda changed some things. Being out of the ring that long and then, now, you are getting really cracked for the first time with some 8-ounce gloves on, I think the legs were probably a factor. Make no excuse, the first round could’ve gone either way.”
“Going into the second round, I noticed the legs didn’t look the same, and then he got caught with the big shot that went into the other stuff.”
In the second round, all hell broke loose. Valenzuela hit De Los Santos with a big right hook, missed with the left hook, but then landed another big right hook. In that split second, De Los Santos went down to one knee, his glove touching the mat to hold him up. Then a second later, Valenzuela hit him with a left hook to the throat that sent him down to the canvas.
The referee began counting and didn’t acknowledge the punch that landed after De Los Santos was down on one knee. After De Los Santos failed to beat the count, the fight was waived off, and Valenzuela was awarded the second-round TKO victory.
Clark didn’t see the foul as it happened but did capture it on the replay.
“When he got hit the first time, it was a hard shot, but Edwin wasn’t out,” Clark told FightsATW. “Usually, when you see a guy out, that’s when you see a guy fall back and the leg bends because he’s not cognizant enough to straighten the leg out. Edwin landed on one knee and put his hand down to break the fall. He wasn’t out. He was hurt.
“After watching the replay, that’s when I needed to talk to someone at the commission. We were told adamantly by Thomas (Taylor) in the locker room that if you hit (your opponent) after the bell or while he’s down, it’s an automatic disqualification. He (Taylor) said, ‘This is the warning. I’m not going to give you one in the ring.”
After the fight, Clark was escorted back to ringside to speak with NSAC executive director Jeffery Mullen about the punch while his fighter was down. Clark said he was told by Mullen that Valenzuela’s punch “grazed” De Los Santos and had nothing to do with the outcome of the fight. The same was said by reporter Mike Coppinger on the Paramount+ stream during the post-fight commentary after speaking to Mullen.
The lack of acknowledgment and accountability is what Clark’s formal complaint will address, and although something will be submitted, he doesn’t expect an answer any time soon.
All he can do now is get his fighter, De Los Santos, a fight after some much-needed rest, and then, maybe down the road, go for the third fight, as they are now 1-1.
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