Mexican Olympic boxer and reigning NABF Welterweight Champion Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (13-0, 11 KOs) held on to his title after fighting Courtney Pennington (17-7-3, 7 KOs) from Brooklyn, New York. This was a 10-round main event at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Curiel had a challenging fight, unleashing his entire skill set on a steadfast Pennington. The fight ended in the tenth round at 2:53, with the referee declaring Curiel the winner by knockout. The event was streamed globally on DAZN.
Curiel commented, “Pennington is truly battle-hardened. I used everything I had, and he absorbed it well. I paced myself and we achieved the win we trained hard for. After more than six months away, this fight helped me get back into groove.”
Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores (16-1, 12 KOs) won in an astounding comeback as the co-main event, defeating Jerson Ortiz (17-8, 8 KOs) from Managua, Nicaragua, in a super bantamweight contest. Fired up to prove his great skill in front of his local fans, Flores knocked Ortiz down twice in the first round and concluded the fight in the second round at 0:50, after a decisive right hook prompted the referee to end it.
Flores declared, “Tonight, I showed the real me. When I’m focused and put in the work, I’m unbeatable. We prepared hard for this, and I’m thrilled with the result.”
Young talent Grant Flores (3-0, 2 KOs) thrilled the Coachella Valley audience in a six-round super welterweight fight that went the full course against Jaleik Bogle (4-2-2, 2 KOs) of St. Petersburg, Florida. The two fighters engaged in a back-and-forth, with Bogle holding his own against Flores’ strong attacks, until a moment in the fifth round turned the tide. The judges scored the fight 60-53, all in favor of local favorite Grant Flores.
New Golden Boy signee Daniel “Ikaika” Luna (3-0, 3 KOs) from Victorville showcased his knockout capability with a second-round takedown of Alexander Gutierrez (0-3) from Lake Elsinore. Luna finished the four-round lightweight fight with a standout left to the body, making Gutierrez hit the canvas and unable to continue.
Jorge Chavez (8-0, 6 KOs) from San Diego kicked off the Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN with a featherweight bout, securing another knockout win against Marvin Solano (24-11, 8 KOs) from Managua, Nicaragua. Chavez wore down Solano, finally flooring him with a body blow at 2:59 in the third round.
Capping the evening, Leonardo “Bazooka” Sanchez (6-0, 5 KOs) of Cathedral City knocked out John Alimane (8-5, 4 KOs) of Manila, Philippines, in a super featherweight division. The bout was set for four rounds, but Sanchez ended it at 0:27 in the second round with a potent three-punch combination that put Alimane down.