Zuffa Boxing 03 Recap: Uno, Dos, Adios For A KO Show

Efe Ajagba made a big statement in the heavyweight division with his knockout win over Charles Martin. Photo: Zuffa Boxing 03
Efe Ajagba made a big statement in the heavyweight division with his knockout win over Charles Martin. Photo: Zuffa Boxing

Zuffa Boxing 03 ended a big sports weekend with a bang with its broadcast on Paramount+ on Sunday night.

All three bouts on the main card ended early, giving the fans enough time to make an 8 p.m. show on the Las Vegas Strip if they were so inclined. No need for judges’ scorecards.

Efe Ajagba Takes Out Charles Martin, Puts Division on Notice

Efe Ajagba admires his work and enjoys his victory Sunday, which he dedicated to his late father, Samuel. Photo: Zuffa Boxing 03
Efe Ajagba admires his work and enjoys his victory Sunday, which he dedicated to his late father, Samuel. Photo: Zuffa Boxing

Efe Ajagba dedicated his fight in the main event against Charles Martin to his late father, Samuel Ajagba, who died in June in Ajagba’s native Nigeria. He promised a knockout.

His father would be proud of Ajagba’s sensational stoppage win. Ajagba of Stafford, Texas (21-1-1, 15 KOs) blasted out former IBF World Heavyweight champion Martin of Las Vegas (30-5, 27 KOs) in three rounds.

“My dad is always here. He’s up there. He’s watching me, you know, he’s proud of me, you know, so I have to keep going,” said Ajagba, who called himself the hardest puncher in the heavyweight division in 2026. It’s hard to disagree with him after Sunday night.

It was Ajagba’s first knockout since 2023, and the kind of knockout win everyone wanted to see from Ajagaba to confirm he’s got the power and skills to be competitive at the top of the heavyweight division.

Martin got off to a strong start, and Ajagba later admitted he didn’t expect that sort of challenge from Martin. “He has a lot of experience. I didn’t expect that, you know. He was very sharp,” said Ajagba.

But it didn’t take long for Ajagba to figure Martin out, and launch an equalizer in the second round.

Martin got to his feet and was fortunate to survive the round with an assist from a lost mouthpiece, although referee Thomas Taylor replaced it as quickly as he could.

But there wasn’t enough time for Martin to recover, and Ajagba wasn’t going to give an inch in the third round. He scored a second knockdown of Martin. Give the American credit for getting to his feet. It seemed Taylor would stop the fight there.

But he gave Martin one last chance, warning Martin he had to show some defense. Ajagba landed several more hard shots and Taylor stepped into the fray to protect Martin and give Ajagba the win – at no small risk to himself.

Ajagba: ‘You Got To Step In The Ring With Me, Now”

Efe Ajagba declared himself the hardest puncher in the heavyweight division. Agree or no? Photo: Zuffa Boxing 03
Efe Ajagba declared himself the hardest puncher in the heavyweight division. Agree or no? Photo: Zuffa Boxing

“I want to run the heavyweight division. I’m putting every heavyweight on notice. Efe Ajagba is around. I’m not running. You got to step in the ring with me. Now,” declared Ajagba after his victory.

Ajagba came into the fight at his heaviest ever at 254 pounds. He said whether he stays at this weight will depend on who he’s fighting in the future.

As we wrote in our preview and will repeat again, what we know to be true and continue to point out: Activity matters. Martin had been out of the ring for over a year, with just five fights in the last six years. He boxed well enough to win the first two rounds, but his skills weren’t sharp enough to avoid the incoming fire from Ajagba.

Ajagba has fought 10 times in the same period, twice as many bouts as Martin. His resume includes Martin Bakole, Guido Vianello, and Frank Sanchez. There is no substitute for the experience in the ring under the lights.

Dzambekov Is Lights Out Against Elbiali

Umar Dzambekov is a fast rising star in the light heavyweight division. Photo: Zuffa Boxing 03
Umar Dzambekov is a fast rising star in the light heavyweight division. Photo: Zuffa Boxing

Light heavyweight Umar Dzambekov of Austria (14-0, 10 KOs) delivered a lights-out performance over Ahmed Elbiali of Las Vegas (24-2, 19 KOs).

All ten of Dzambekov’s knockout wins have come within four rounds. It was no difference on Sunday night.

Dzambekov fought on the outside of his range in the opening rounds, observing Elbiali cautiously as he tried to jab his way in. It seems Dzambekov learned everything he needed to know about his opponent. He closed in to land several punches in combination, including a nice left hook to the body. 57

Out of nowhere, the Austrian blasted Elbiali with a single vicious uppercut in the second round to drop him to the canvas. Elbiali was out cold, his eyes rolling back in his head, and his legs twitching. He received immediate medical attention and thankfully was able to reach his corner on his own minutes later.

“I’m always prepared to go the distance if necessary. I always say that. But yeah, I work on the shots, and when I see a chance, I go for it,” said Dzambekov. It was a punch he said he’d been working on with trainer Marvin Somodio. “I’ve been practicing that exactly the same move, and it landed, so I can’t complain.”

Dzambekov is likely teed up for a fight against Zuffa light heavyweight Radjevic “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic, who also scored a sensational knockout win over former world champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk on the Zuffa Boxing 02 card. Dzambekov said he’d gladly accept the fight. Asked if he considered himself among the division’s elite, Dzambekov was smart to acknowledge he has the skills, but may not have the experience of champions with 30 pro fights. Based on Sunday’s performance, he’ll get there.

Pe Benito Pounds Mejia in Three Rounds

In the opening bout featuring two undefeated lightweights, it barely took a round before the action heated up between Abel Mejia of El Modena, California (10-1, 7 KOs) and Jaybrio Pe Benito, a Hawaiian native based in Hollywood, California (7-0, 5 KOs) in their first scheduled eight-round fight for both men.

Pe Benito came out hot, scoring a knockdown at the end of the second round. As Mejia threw a combination, Pe Benito cracked Mejia with a nice left hook to the head, sitting him down for the third knockdown in his pro career. Pe Benito didn’t let Mejia recover, cracking him less than a minute into the third round with a right hook, dropping him backwards again. Veteran referee Mark Nelson took one look at Mejia and stopped the fight at 48 seconds into the round.

Pe Benito credited his team for preparing him for Sunday night’s win. “My team put a lot of work in with me, and I just do whatever they tell me to do, and I get this kind of performance,” said Pe Benito. “I always got to work hard and listen to my team. I trust my team, and I appreciate them, and I want to be important for my team. Shout out to my team and all the people supporting me.”

Pe Benito said Mejia punched hard and was no fluke. “It’s the biggest test, and I think I passed with flying colors.”

“The Hitman” Pe Benito took three years off between 2021 and 2024. He made it clear with his performance he’s back to stay.

Pe Benito was given the Fight of the Night honors by promoter Dana White. Asked if this was the best Zuffa card to date, White said, “At this end of this year, judge us on our body of work, I would say.”