By John Gabriel Thompson: In a season which has produced some memorable upsets, the determination of Sebastian Andres Lujan (38-5-2, 24 KO’s) earned him a mild upset victory over up and coming Mark Jason Melligen (21-3, 14 KO’s) on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights. Also in action, Mickey Bey, Jr. scored an impressive knockout victory at the Freeman Coliseum in San
Antonio, Texas.
Originally from the Philippines and now living in Los Angeles, Melligen had won his last five matches, two by TKO. His Argentinean competitor, who took this fight on just eight days notice, had won eleven straight, five by stoppage, not having lost since 2007. Lujan had been stopped twice, once by Antonio Margarito back in 2005 after Lujan’s ear split open in a disgusting stoppage due to “cuts.”
Melligen looked in control for the first three rounds, outworking and somewhat outclassing Lujan; the southpaw working behind a good jab and following it up with the left. To say Lujan picked up the pace in the fourth would be an understatement as Lujan came out swinging and landing a big right. Lujan kept up the aggression, pushing Melligen back to the ropes and keeping him there, where Lujan was able to land repeatedly on Melligen’s head. By this point, Lujan’s confidence had skyrocketed and he kept his hands down at his waist, offering his unblocked head.
Lujan continued the pressure fight in the fifth and sixth. Melligen would answer with shots, but Lujan got the better of most exchanges.
With just over fifty seconds left in the sixth, Lujan threw a jab and then a hard right which landed flush and Melligen went down. Melligen was up at eight and elected to exchange until the bell, rather than hold. Lujan had a huge round in the seventh pressuring Melligen from rope to rope. At one point Melligen managed to counter with a big left which backed Lujan into the ropes, but Lujan just shook his body pretending like he was severely hurt and immediately fired back, turning Melligen into the ropes. After a series of shots, Melligen bent over and went down again. It looked at first as though he was
pushed, but in the replay he was clearly hurt by a left-right combo.
Lujan continued pressing the action in the eighth and with twelve seconds left in the round Lujan landed a big right to the jaw and a left to the body and Melligen went down for a third time. He beat the count and the round ended before the action could continue. Lujan decided to finish it in the ninth, coming out strong and relentlessly pursuing Melligen. Melligen did land a few good counter uppercuts, but Lujan just kept coming and after a few rights to the head with Melligen’s back to the ropes, Melligen went down again, more from the accumulation of punches than any single blow. Melligen laid spread out without movement and the referee immediately stopped the bout.
In the undercard, Mickey Bey, Jr. (17-0-1, 9 KO’s) of Cleveland, Ohio took out Alejandro Rodriguez (12-4, 6 KO’s) of Guadalajara, Mexico in the fourth. Rodriguez had lost his last two fights, one of which was a third round TKO loss to John Molina back in May. Other than his most recent two losses, which both took place in the U.S., all of his other professional bouts had taken place in Mexico. Bey was the 2002 US National Golden Gloves featherweight champion with a reported two
hundred and fifty amateur bouts. His last fight in February was a majority draw.
Bey controlled the first three rounds with an excellent jab, occasionally looking to follow up with the right. Two minutes into the fourth round, Bey landed a big right over a weak jab from Rodriguez, connecting flush to the chin. Rodriguez went down to his knees. He got up at the count of eight and looked okay, but when Referee Mark Calo-Oy said, “fight,” Rodriguez fell down again into the ropes. Referee Calo-Oy had no choice but to wave off the fight.
Also in action, two Texans – Ivan Najera (2-0, 2 KO) of San Antonio and Pedro Martinez (2-1, 1 KO) of Laredo – put on a spirited contest while it lasted. Both men let their hands go in the first, with Najera pressing the action, but Martinez answering well considering his two days notice (according to ringside commentator Teddy Atlas). Unfortunately for the fans, Martinez injured his wrist at some point during the round and complained to his corner about it after the bell.
Martinez and his team elected not answer the bell to start the second round and Najera was awarded the win.