Gabriela Fundora Makes Kubicki Pay; Collazo Defends Titles

Gabriela Fundora upstaged the main event in the Coachella Valley on Saturday, but it was just what the fans wanted.

Unified WBA/WBO Minimumweight and Ring Magazine champion Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico (13-0, 10 KOs) ground down Filipino fighter Jayson Vayson (14-2-1, 8 KOs) round by round, laying on the punishment until Vayson’s corner asked referee Thomas Taylor to stop the fight at 1:41 of the seventh round.

Oscar Collazo ground down Jayson Vayson until the Filipino fighter’s corner called it a night in the seventh round. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing

It was Collazo’s successful sixth title defense in the main event Saturday in Indio at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino. The win keeps Collazo on track to achieve his goal to unify the minimumweight division and become Puerto Rico’s first four-belt male undisputed champion.

“I believe it was a good stoppage,” said Collazo. “I was putting the pressure on, picking my shos. That was the round he was going to go, and we got the stoppage.”

Vayson said he thought he could fight on, but respected the corner’s decision for his safety. ” I feel the punches to the body, but I think I can manage it,” said Vayson.

Collazo has impressive power, scoring the only knockdown of the fight late in the first round on a grazing right hook to the top of Vayson’s head. It didn’t land flush, but it dropped Vayson to the canvas. Few 105-pound men can generate the kind of force Collazo uses to take down his opponents. He throws in combination with excellent punch variety.

Collazo complimented Vayson’s effort. “He got me with a couple of shots. He got me with a body shot. He’s a good warrior. I love to fight, I love it, I hope the fans love it too. It was a great fight.

I knew I was going to get him, I was applying the pressure like I wanted, and I saw him slowing down.”

Collazo hopes to set a unification fight, but perhaps the new WBC World Flyweight champion Ricardo Sandoval from nearby Rialto, California, would be game. Sandoval was ringside watching Collazo. Set it in Southern California, and it would be a natural Mexico vs. Puerto Rico clash.

Gabriela Fundora Delivers Hometown TKO Win

Gabriela Fundora said she knew Alexas Kubicki couldn’t beat her from the first punch Fundora landed. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing

The Coachella Valley’s first undisputed champion put on a spicy show for her fans. Gabriela “Sweet Poison” Fundora (17-0, 9 KOs) made Alexas “Iron Lady” Kubicki of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (13-2, 2 KOs) pay for her trash talk earlier in the week, delivering a beatdown until referee Ray Corona stepped in to stop the fight 43 seconds into the seventh round.

“I felt good, it’s good to be back in the Coachella Valley. I hear all these fans, it’s amazing. I’m glad I got to put on a show and a knockout once again in front of my family,” said Fundora.

Fundora defended her belts in the co-main event for the undisputed flyweight championship with her fifth knockout in her last six fights. The 2024 Fighter of the Year is making her case again in 2025.

A former hockey player, Kubicki showed plenty of Canadian grit, but she was simply not on Fundora’s level. Fundora’s hand speed and power left Kubicki with few options. All she could do was stand in tough and try to stay on the inside. Until she couldn’t.

Fundora has a stunning straight left, and her body shots land with force. Her combination punching leaves opponents nowhere to hide. If you know someone who says they don’t like women’s boxing, have them watch a Gabriela Fundora fight.

After the victory, Fundora said she knew from the very first punch she had Kubicki dead to rights. “The very first round. The first punch I threw. I listen to my corner. They tell me what to do. In the very first round, she was hurt. It was just a matter of time.”

Fundora insisted she wasn’t being cocky. “I expected her to come 1000 percent. I think she did. but again, I came a million.

“I felt that she underestimated me. And that’s what happens when you fight Gabriela Fundora,” concluded the champion.

It was a home game for Team Fundora in the Coachella Valley. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing

Fundora doesn’t have many potential opponents left at flyweight. Asked if she has plans to move to another division, Fundora said she was more likely to move to light flyweight at 108 pounds before taking on super flyweight at 115 pounds. She weighed in for Saturday’s fight just over 110 pounds so it’s not a stretch.

Abdullaev Adds Pro Experience With UD

Ruslan Abdullaev found himself in front of a tough journeyman Kevin Johnson who forced him to work for the win. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing

Super lightweight Ruslan Abdullaev of Uzbekistan (3-0, 1 KO) found himself in front of a cagey journeyman in his third pro fight against Detroit native Kevin Johnson (12-9, 8 KOs). Johnson forced Abdullaev to go the distance for his decision win, as he has with all his opponents. Scores were 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.

Forget Johnson’s record. This is his role, and he plays it well.  Johnson has a solid chin, a Mayweather-like shoulder roll, and enough power to keep opponents like Abdullaev honest.

These are the fights an accomplished amateur like Abdullaev needs to transition to professional competition and the ten-round fights he needs to rise through the ranks.

Joel Iriarte Begins New KO Streak

Joel Iriarte got the tough test he needed from Eduardo Hernandez. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing

Welterweight Joel Iriarte hoped to schedule an eight-round fight, but his matchup was just six rounds. It didn’t matter, as Iriarte of Bakersfield, California (9-0, 8 KOs) stopped Eduardo Hernandez of Tijuana (8-5, 5 KOs) at 2:03 of the third round. It was the first time Hernandez had been stopped.

The 22-year-old Iriarte is delivering what a young fighter needs to show at this stage. He has good power, tremendous punch selection, and he is developing maturity in the ring to assess his best approach, using his jab at times, stepping back to load up counter shots when called for.

Iriarte went after Hernandez with body punches, and he scored the first knockdown just before the end of the first round. Hernandez got to his feet, but it was only to take more punishment for two more rounds until Iriarte finished him off with a combination culminating with a left hook to the temple.

Grant Flores Gets Hometown Win

Grant Flores scores a knockdown of Courtney Pennington. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing

Hometown favorite Grant Flores of Coachella (12-0, 9 KOs) put on a show for his fans against durable veteran Courtney Pennington of Brooklyn (17-10-3, 7 KOs), going all eight rounds in their super welterweight bout for a unanimous decision win. Scores were 80-71, 80-71, and 79-72.

Flores had to work for it. He unloaded his full offensive arsenal, managing to finally score a knockdown one minute into the seventh round with a right hook in combination. Pennington wisely took a knee. It didn’t look like he wanted to continue, but he made it to the final bell.

Fighting the 38-year-old Pennington will do a world of good for the 20-year-old Flores. As he left the arena, he paused for a conversation and debrief with Oscar De La Hoya, who had plenty of feedback for Flores.

In preliminary action, Olympian Gael “El Terror” Cabrera of Sonora, Mexico (10-0, 7 KOs) only gave his fans one round of action before he drilled Judy “Stingray” Flores of General Santos City, Philippines (14-5, 8 KOs) with a left hook to the liver at 2:59 of the first round. Flores tried but could not beat referee Thomas Taylor’s count.

Middleweight Javid Ramirez of Jalisco, Mexico (15-0, 7 KOs) and flyweight Adriana Pineiro of Uruguay (9-0, 1 KO) both added unanimous decision victories to their records. Pineiro had Freddy and Sebastian Fundora working her corner.