PALM DESERT, California- Although he had to fight ten pounds north of where he usually competes at, Raul Curiel was still able to earn a unanimous decision over Jordan Panthen (11-2, 9 KOs) at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, CA, on Friday night live on DAZN. The judges saw this one 97-93 x 2 and 98-92 for Curiel who remains undefeated.
After the fight, Curiel (17-0-1, 14 KOs) said the fight played out how he expected and with his team, he can get a title shot at his weight class (welterweight).
In the opening round, both fighters were very hesitant as Curiel and Panthen feinted a lot. Curiel threw his left jab frequently, while Panthen kept pressing forward and throwing short right hands. The second round involved Panthen applying pressure but not throwing as many punches as he should have. Curiel was landing short shots and then holding in an effort to frustrate his opponent. Curiel wasn’t trying to take too many risks against the bigger man.
Although punches were exchanged in spurts, neither fighter appeared to have the edge over the other in the third round. Up to this point in the fight, both fighters were still trying to figure each other out, which happens when you have a late replacement opponent. It was more of the same in the fourth round as Panthen landed some clean uppercuts but missed many of his overhand rights. Curiel did a good job of using his left jab to set up his other punches, but they were few and far between.
Both fighters performed better in round five, but neither could take control of the fight. Panthen was in close where he wanted to be but couldn’t string together combinations consistently. Curiel was a little sharper, but not by much. The sixth round went to Curiel as he landed cleaner, more effective punches. His left hook to the body and the left uppercut made Panthen step back. It wasn’t enough to hurt Panthen but just enough to make him aware and retreat.
Panthen came roaring back in the seventh round as his overhand right found a home on Curiel’s chin, rocking his head back. Panthen worked on the body with left hooks, but Curiel did as well. Panthen fought as if he knew he needed this round, as he might have felt like the fight was slipping away. The eighth round was pretty even, with both fighters having their moments, but Panthen appeared to be more battle-worn than Curiel. It wasn’t a significant round for either fighter, as they spent much of it holding.
In the ninth round, the fight continued at the same pace as the previous round until Curiel landed a powerful overhand right that nearly sent Panthen to the canvas. Somehow, Panthen managed to hold on until the round ended. In the last round, Panthen looked exhausted, and Curiel continued landing hard overhand rights in an effort to score the stoppage. Unfortunately, he did not and had to settle for a unanimous decision victory.
RAUL CURIEL VS JORDAN PANTHEN UNDERCARD RESULTS
In the co-main event, a highly anticipated rematch between Manuel “Gucci” Flores (20-1-1, 16 KOs) and Jorge Chavez (14-0-1, 8 KOs) took place, with both fighters leaving it all in the ring during a back-and-forth ten-round battle. The judges scored it 96-94, 97-93, and 98-92 for Chavez, who earned his victory through his performance in the second half. In the last three rounds, Chavez took control and at times seemed close to stopping Flores, but “Gucci” showed resilience and refused to go out that way. Both fighters heard the final bell, but in the end, Chavez was awarded the win.
Ruslan Abdulaev (4-0, 2 KOs) delivered an impressive fifth-round TKO victory over Eduardo Abreu (14-2-2, 10 KOs). Abdulaev is a fighter you should keep on your radar at 140 pounds.
Cayden Griffiths (7-0, 6 KOs) secures his seventh win with a unanimous decision (60-53 x3) over Lesther Espino (10-8, 8 KOs) to kick off the DAZN telecast.
John “Scrappy” Ramirez (16-1, 9 KOs) earned a majority decision (95-95, 97-93 & 98-92) over Byron Rojas (29-6-3, 12 KOs) in a fight where neither man looked dominant.
Fabian Guzman (9-0, 8 KOs) scored a sixth-round TKO over Jose Rodriguez (3-2, 2 KOs). Guzman displayed a good variety of offense and has a strong foundation to build on.
In the opening fight of the night, Ricardo Ruvalcaba (15-0-1, 10 KOs) faced a tricky Jonathan Eniz (37-25-1, 17 KOs) but still managed to secure a unanimous decision (79-73, 80-72 x2) victory.
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