Najee Lopez stops Manuel Gallegos after knockdown in brutal light heavyweight fight

Najee Lopez survived a knockdown and a severe cut before stopping Manuel Gallegos in the eighth round Friday night in a light heavyweight fight that turned into a punishing battle.

Lopez (16-0, 13 KOs) halted Gallegos at 2:41 of the eighth after trapping him in the corner and unloading a series of unanswered punches. Referee Chris Young stepped in when Gallegos sagged into the ropes and could no longer defend himself.

The fight changed early when an accidental head clash in the second round opened a deep cut over Lopez’s right eye. Blood ran down his face for much of the contest, forcing ringside officials to examine the injury before the third and fourth rounds.

Lopez still pushed forward and continued trading punches with Gallegos (22-4-1, 19 KOs), who responded with steady pressure and body work that slowed the unbeaten contender in the middle rounds.

The seventh round produced the most dramatic moment of the fight when Gallegos dropped Lopez with a short right hand during an exchange. Lopez rose quickly and fought back through the final minute of the round despite swelling around his damaged eye.

Gallegos also suffered a cut later in the round, leaving both fighters marked up as the fight moved into the closing stages.

Lopez regained control in the eighth after returning to his jab and landing a right hand that stunned Gallegos. The Mexican fighter attempted to hold, but Lopez pressed forward with repeated combinations until the referee intervened.

“All I thought in there, I was thinking Diego Corrales, I was thinking Marvin Hagler, I was thinking championship s***,” Lopez said afterward. “As soon as I had him on the hook, I wasn’t going to let up.”

The win keeps Lopez unbeaten and maintains his position inside the top 15 of the major sanctioning body rankings at light heavyweight.

The bout headlined a ProBox TV card at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.