Olascuaga Drops Martinez Late, Keeps His WBO Flyweight Title

Update, Nov. 14: Darius Fulghum outpointed Diego Pacheco by unanimous decision in the main event, handing Pacheco the first loss of his career. Our main-event results item is here.

Anthony Olascuaga is still the WBO flyweight champion, and he needed the last punch of the night to keep the belt. He outpointed Yuberjen Martinez by unanimous decision on Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, the co-feature of Matchroom's Pacheco-Fulghum card, live on DAZN and TNT.

The scores were 115-112, 115-112 and 114-113, posted by Matchroom and Dan Rafael and carried by BoxingScene and Boxing News 24. Olascuaga dropped Martinez in the last seconds of the 12th round. On the 114-113 card, that knockdown was the difference. Matchroom called it crucial. Martinez beat the count and made it to the bell.

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It was Olascuaga's sixth defense, as Matchroom, BoxingScene and BN24 all reported, and his first fight under the Matchroom-Teiken deal we covered when it was announced in October. BoxRec, BoxingScene, BN24 and FIGHTMAG have him at 13-1 (9 KOs) after the decision.

Martinez, 35, a Colombian two-time Olympian and 2016 Rio silver medalist, came in 7-0 with seven knockouts. The loss is the first of his career, and the first time he has heard the final bell as a pro. BoxingScene identified Thomas Taylor as the referee.

On the undercard, Charlie Sheehy shut out late substitute Jose Matias Romero, 100-90 on all three cards, to win the WBA 135-pound ranking title, as Matchroom posted. Rafael and BoxingScene confirmed the shutout and the late substitution; CompuBox likewise has Sheehy winning a one-sided decision and moving to 14-0. The official card listing, and our weigh-in item, had the belt as the WBA Continental North America lightweight title.

David Adeleye won the WBA International heavyweight title by unanimous decision over Alexander Flores, 100-89 on all three cards, and is now 15-2. Matchroom posted those cards, and BN24, FIGHTMAG and MiddleEasy all reported the same scores, plus a third-round knockdown from a jab.

Zaquin Moses stopped Manuel Lerma, now 9-0. FIGHTMAG and The Boxing Hour both have a corner retirement at the start of the fourth of a scheduled eight. Nishant Dev stopped Sona Akale in the third and is 8-0, per FIGHTMAG (2:52) and The Boxing Hour. Federico Pacheco Jr. stopped Jack May in the fifth and is 12-0; FIGHTMAG has the official time at 2:59. Frank Espinoza stopped Abisai Torres at 0:50 of the second and is 6-0, a time both FIGHTMAG and The Boxing Hour reported.

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The Kimster's Take

This is what happens when you stay in the fight. Martinez, on a short pro résumé, made a world title fight close enough that one late right hand flipped a card. Olascuaga admitted afterward, to BoxingScene, that he underestimated him. Sixth defense, first night with Matchroom on American TV, and he still had to be rescued by a knockdown in the last seconds. That's not a criticism of the win. It's the reason this one will be remembered.

We had the weigh-in and the first face-offs earlier in the week. When Olascuaga's next fight is booked, you can log a pick in Fight Picker.