INDIO, CALIF. (September 7, 2023): Mexican Olympian and current NABF Welterweight Titleholder Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (13-0, 11 KOs) successfully defended his title against Brooklyn, New York’s Courtney Pennington (17-7-3, 7 KOs) in a 10-round main event at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. “El Cugar” faced his toughest match yet, throwing everything in his arsenal at the resilient Pennington. Pennington survived until the tenth round, the referee waving it off at 2:53, awarding Curiel the knockout victory. The action was broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
«He is truly a warrior with tremendous experience. I threw everything at my disposal, and he took it all,» said Raul Curiel. «I took my time in the ring and we got the victory we trained hard for. This fight helped shake off some of the cobwebs after not being inside the ring for more than half a year, so I am proud of the work I did in there and learned a lot.»
In a jaw-dropping, redemptive performance as the co-main event, Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores (16-1, 12 KOs) stopped Jerson Ortiz (17-8, 8 KOs) of Managua, Nicaragua in the second round of a 10-round super bantamweight fight. Flores, filled with a hunger to demonstrate he has what it takes to be at the top in front of his hometown crowd, sent Ortiz to the mat twice in the first round and finished business at 0:50 in the second round when the referee stopped the contest after a debilitating combination that ended with a right hook.
“I showed everyone the REAL ‘Gucci Manny’ tonight. This is the real me,” said Manuel Flores. “I showed that when I’m disciplined and work hard no one can beat me. We put in the miles and the rounds in for this fight. I expected my opponent to come forward a little more, but I’m glad we got the win.”
Getting the Coachella Valley crowd on their feet, hot prospect Grant Flores (3-0, 2 KOs) had fans locked-in on his six-round super welterweight slugfest that went the distance against Jaleik Bogle (4-2-2, 2 KOs) of St. Petersburg, Florida. Flores and Bogle went back-and-forth, Bogle responding to Flores’ heavy blows until he was rocked in the fifth-round. All three judges scored the fight unanimously 60-53 in favor of Coachella’s own Grant Flores.
Making a statement victory as his first scrap as an official Golden Boy fighter, recently signed Daniel “Ikaika” Luna (3-0, 3 KOs) of Victorville showed off his knockout power with a second-round smash of Alexander Gutierrez (0-3) of Lake Elsinore. The four-round lightweight fight ended with a spectacular left punch to the body, the liver shot sending Gutierrez straight to the mat unable to continue.
Opening the Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN broadcast with a six-round featherweight fight, Jorge Chavez (8-0, 6 KOs) of San Diego added another knockout to his record after defeating Managua, Nicaragua’s Marvin Solano (24-11, 8 KOs). Chavez successfully broke down his opponent ultimately nailing him with a body punch that sent him to the mat at 2:59 in the third round.
Opening fight night with nuclear bombs, Leonardo “Bazooka” Sanchez (6-0, 5 KOs) of Cathedral City secured a second-round knockout against John Alimane (8-5, 4 KOs) of Manila, Philippines. Scheduled for four-rounds of super featherweight action, Sanchez rocked Alimane with a powerful, three punch combo that sent him to the mat at 0:27 in the second.
