Over in Sheffield Arena, nestled within the robust heart of Yorkshire, UK, Dalton Smith delivered a striking wake-up call to Jose Zepeda, escorting him to dreamland in just five rounds, and clutching the vacant WBC Silver Super Lightweight title in his triumphant grasp. Sandy Ryan, not one to be outdone in the co-feature, decisively halted Terri Harper’s ambitions, calling it a day after four rounds.
In the main event fight, Dalton Smith, the pride of Sheffield with an unblemished record, unleashed a storm on the seasoned southpaw Jose Zepeda. The initial rounds saw Zepeda putting Smith on his heels, outpacing him with a flurry of jabs and hooks. However, as the third round ticked by, Smith began to retaliate, trading blows until Zepeda landed a thunderous shot that momentarily rattled him.
The turning point came in the fifth round when Smith, with a surgeon’s precision, planted a crippling right into Zepeda’s midsection, sending him crashing to the canvas. The referee’s count was mere formality as Zepeda found himself unable to rise, sealing Smith’s victory and his claim to the WBC Silver Super Lightweight title.
Meanwhile, in the co-feature, Sandy Ryan demonstrated why she’s a force to be reckoned with in the welterweight division, overpowering the former two-division champion Terri Harper. Despite a bloody nose in the fourth, Ryan’s relentless assault proved too much for Harper, who found herself in dire straits by the end of the third and fourth rounds. Harper’s corner, seeing enough, threw in the towel, solidifying Ryan’s victory by technical knockout.