At the Videotron Center in Quebec City, Canada on Sho Extreme, two matchups served as an appetizer to the main card on Showtime.
Amir Imam faced off against Adrian Granados.
Granados came in at a respectable 14-3-2 with nine knockouts, while Imam came in with a perfect 18-0 with 15 knockouts.
Granados in a huge upset scored an eighth-round stoppage over Imam.
The 140-pound division now has a new contender to challenge for the top spot in the division.
Granados came out in the first round very aggressive and was able to land some left hooks on Imam though Imam kept his composure and measured Granados coming in and nailed him with a huge right hand to put Granados on the canvas.
Imam wasted a lot of energy trying to finish his man with over a minute left in the round. After throwing many combinations with Granados against the ropes, Imam then relaxed, and waited to counter.
In the second, Granados threw combinations to create opportunities to counter. Imam landed his share of body punches on the inside, but Granados stayed in the pocket and landed some hard shots on Imam when he was stuck on the ropes. It was a close round.
The third round was more of the same as Granados took the fight to Imam and outworked him on the inside. Imam slipped and landed shots of his own, but Granados was landing the cleaner shots to this point.
Imam began to measure Granados with the right hand at the start of the fourth. Granados kept the fight on the inside and continued to outwork Imam.
The pattern continued in the fifth round with Granados taking Imam to the ropes and remaining a figure on the inside. Granados was landing straight right hands and body punches to go along with his looping hooks.
In the last 30 seconds of the fifth round, Imam began pulling straight back with his hands down, and Granados took control. Granadoshurt Imam in the corner.
Now instead of just outworking Imam, Granados was ripping him to shreds.
The only difference in round six was Imam backing Granados up to start the round. Granados, however, turned the tables and landed with his right hand consistently. Imam landed the sharper single punches in the round, but they were ineffective.
Imam came out in the seventh showing his jab and movement but was quickly forced back against the ropes by Granados. At the end of the round, Imam’s corner informed him that he was losing and needed to pick up the pieces.
Possibly showing a sign of fatigue, Imam came out in the eighth and immediately held Granados. The fight was now a battle of attrition, and the winner would be the one who could dig down the deepest.
Imam was still landing some hard punches, but that right hand of Granados continued to land with precision. Imam was toast and knocked out on his feet. With 30 seconds remaining in the eighth, the referee halted the action.
We started off in the heavy weight division with Joey Abell facing the undefeated Oscar Rivas.
Oscar Rivas made quick work of Joey Abell, who was a three-day late replacement.
Rivas landed a right hand with Abell on the ropes and then unloaded a left hook and a monstrous right hand over the top to seal the victory.
Rivas improved his record to 18-0 with 13 knockouts.
– Hector Franco @mrhector_franco
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