Jose Valenzuela avenged his loss with a brutal second-round knockout, but an unpunished punch after Edwin De Los Santos hit the canvas may draw an appeal
Jose Valenzuela gained revenge in spectacular fashion on Sunday night, knocking out Edwin “La Granada” De Los Santos in the second round of their lightweight rematch at Zuffa Boxing 08 in Las Vegas. The victory, however, was immediately overshadowed by a controversial follow-up punch after De Los Santos had already gone down, raising the possibility of a post-fight appeal.
Valenzuela (16-3, 10 KOs) needed just over two rounds to avenge his 2022 stoppage loss, catching De Los Santos (17-3, 15 KOs) with a crushing right hook that ended matters almost instantly. What was controversial was when Valenzuela hit De Los Santos with a solid headshot while he was down. Although the referee failed to penalize or disqualify Valenzuela for the shot, this leaves open the possibility that the fight’s results could be changed on appeal.
The first meeting had been one of the division’s wildest fights. Valenzuela dropped De Los Santos in the second round, only for the Dominican puncher to rally with multiple knockdowns before stopping the previously unbeaten prospect in the third.
The rematch was expected to produce more of the same.
Both southpaws opened aggressively, trading heavy shots from the opening bell. Valenzuela looked calmer than he had four years earlier, using his jab and movement to keep De Los Santos from setting his feet. De Los Santos searched for his trademark power but appeared a step behind the pace.
The ending came suddenly in the second round.
Valenzuela timed De Los Santos with a perfectly placed right hook that landed flush on the chin, sending him crashing to the canvas. Referee Thomas Taylor immediately waved off the fight as De Los Santos lay motionless, giving him no opportunity to beat the count. Valenzuela also landed a follow-up shot after his opponent had gone down, but Taylor did not address it.
The victory completed Valenzuela’s redemption story in emphatic fashion, turning the result of their first meeting completely on its head. Instead of another extended firefight, the rematch produced a single highlight-reel knockout that settled the rivalry before it had the chance to develop.
For De Los Santos, inactivity appeared to show. He struggled to find his timing during the brief contest and never looked comfortable before Valenzuela landed the decisive punch.
Although the fight was billed as “guaranteed mayhem,” the anticipated war lasted barely two rounds. One clean right hook was enough for Valenzuela to gain revenge and deliver one of the most memorable knockouts of the Zuffa Boxing series.
