Ringside Report: Roy Jones Jr Boxing on UFC Fight Pass

Fresh off the recent 72 fight deal Roy Jones Boxing signed with the UFC to stream their events on the UFC Fight pass, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing held an event Thursday night in Alpine, CA, which was co-promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions.

The main event was a WBO Junior Bantamweight title eliminator between “Mighty” Aston Palicte (24-2-1) and Jose “Chiquiro” Martinez (20-0-2).

The last time we saw Aston Palicte, he fought the crafty veteran Donnie Nietes in what was a highly competitive fight at the forum in Inglewood. The fight was too close to call and led the judges to rule it as a split draw.

Jose Martinez from Puerto Rico, has not been as active as his opponent with only one bout last year and two in 2017. His last fight against Alejandro Barrios resulted in a split draw. With this fight, he has an opportunity to throw his name in the mix to fight for a world title.

“Mighty” Aston Palicte vs. Jose “Chiquiro” Martinez

The first round in this one was a feel out round. Martinez landed some good left hooks to the body while Palicte was landing some hard looping right hands. In the second, Palicte being the bigger man in this fight, smiled when he got hit as he felt the punches did not hurt him. Palicte then landed a looping right hand which hit the top of the head of Martinez sending him to the canvas for the first time in the fight. The second knockdown came with the same punch as Martinez felt the punch was illegal but it wasn’t called as such by the referee. Martinez got up again and was met with a flurry of punches with no return fire which led to the referee jumping in and calling a halt to the action. “Mighty” Aston Palicte wins by knockout in the second round making him the mandatory challenger for the WBO crown.

Co-Main: Edward “Kid” Vasquez (5-0) vs. Brandon “2 Smooth” Cruz (6-0)

Brandon Cruz started off the with a good jab but was getting hit with a counter left hand since he had his right hand too low. Round two, it was the straight right counterpunch of Edward Vasquez that shifted the momentum back to him. In rounds three through four, “Kid” Vasquez opened up and started throwing more combinations upstairs as he knew that he needed to pick up the pace in the fight. Round five, “2 Smooth” started to rally back by landing an effective left jab and hook throughout the round. In the last round, both fighters had their moments and the fight went to the scorecards. The three judges had it 59-55 (Vasquez), 55-54 (Cruz) and 58-56 (Vasquez) for Edward “Kid” Vazquez who wins by split decision.

Jessica Juarez (1-0) vs. Kailyn Hansen (1-2)

Jessica Juarez started off looking like the more polished fighter of the two with some nice side to side movements and slick jab. In the second round, Kailyn Hansen started to time Jessica with a counter right hand that was landing successfully. In the third, Kaiyln was countering more with the right while Jessica seemed as though she was a bit winded. In the fourth, both women went at it hoping to sway the judges to give them the final round. The judges saw the fight 38-38, 40-36 and 40-36 for the winner Jessica Juarez. 

Dilan “El Rey” Miranda (4-1) vs. Daniel “Chino” Constantino (2-2-1) 

What a way to start the live streaming event as Dilan Miranda and Daniel Constantino came into the ring ready for battle from the sound of the opening bell. Miranda started very quickly showing fast combinations but Dilan Miranda kept his composure and was analyzing his opponent. In round two, “Chino” Constantino started to land a vicious left hook upstairs that seemed unstoppable. By the fourth round, “El Rey” Miranda’s eye was nearly shut but he did not let that stop him from continuing to move forward and throw combinations to the body and head. Chino’s left hook was the key to this fight but there was no question about the heart of “El Rey”, who gave it his all until the final bell. In the end, the judges saw this one 57-57, 59-55 & 59-55 for the winner Daniel Constantino by majority decision. 

Anthony “The Future” Franco (3-1-1) vs. David Morales (2-1-1)

Anthony Franco continues to stay busy while fighting across multiple promotions throughout Southern California. The Marine veteran flashed a good jab early in the first round along with a straight right hand that kept Morales from starting his offense. In the second round, Morales made some adjustments and started to land a left hook upstairs and effective body shots. Rounds three through four belong to Anthony Franco as he was dictating the action with the left jab and overhand right. The fight went to the scorecards and the judges had it 38-38, 40-36 and 39-37 for the winner Anthony “The Future” Franco.

Viejas Casino isn’t a place that holds many boxing events however, tonight showed the venue’s potential when a fight is promoted correctly and local fighters are placed on the card. The event was sold out and fans truly enjoyed themselves on this Thursday night of boxing. The future looks bright for Roy Jones Jr. Boxing and their streaming deal with the UFC.