Efe Ajagba made everything of Zuffa Boxing’s heavyweight debut on Paramount+ by scoring a big fourth-round TKO over Charles Martin at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, NV.
After the fight, Ajagba told Max Kellerman during the in-ring post-fight interview that he is putting the heavyweight division on notice and that he’s ready for the top five contenders.
In the opening round, Martin (30-5-1, 27 KOs) set the pace with his right jab from the southpaw stance, followed by angles and feints. Ajagba (21-1-1, 15 KOs) threw his left jab at times and, toward the end of the round, landed two hard straight right hands before the bell rang.
Martin continued to be evasive in the second round by using smart footwork and pumping the jab while moving in circles. Ajagba kept lunging in with his punches, and toward the end of the round, he was caught with a check right hook that stunned Ajagba. Martin followed up with a three-punch combination to end the round. In the third round, Martin maintained his rhythm until he was hit by a straight right hand from Ajagba. Martin beat the count and was hurt but kept fighting, landing a few punches on Ajagba when he came inside. Martin was able to survive the round.
In the fourth round, Ajagba wasted no time and delivered a powerful right hand to knock Martin down again. Martin managed to beat the count but was on shaky legs, which Ajagba exploited by throwing some flurries. A few of them connected, prompting the referee to wave off the fight and give Ajagba the TKO victory.
Efe Ajagba vs. Charles Martin Undercard Results
Umar Dzambekov (14-0, 10 KOs) delivered a sure-fire Knockout of the Year candidate with an explosive right uppercut that sent Ahmed Elbiali (24-2, 19 KOs) crashing down, his left leg shaking. The referee immediately stopped the fight as medical personnel tended to Elbiali. After a few minutes, he was able to get up and was responsive. The second-round knockout was both impressive and frightening for Dzambekov, who instantly became a light heavyweight prospect that fans will follow.
Underdog Jaybrio Pe Benito (7-0, 5 KOs) scored a one-punch knockout in the third round, landing a huge right hand right on the chin of Abel Mejia (10-1, 7 KOs). The two fighters had been going at it from the start, with Pe Benito scoring his first knockdown in the second round when he landed a crushing left hook to Mejia’s chin. Although Mejia’s corner gave him a strong pep talk between rounds, he wasn’t fully back before getting clipped again in the third, which led to the fight being stopped.
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