Junior welterweight prospect ‘Sugar’ Cain Sandoval of Sacramento (14-0, 12 KOs) stopped veteran Romero “Ruthless” Duno, a native of the Philippines based in Miami (26-5, 20 KOs) in the sixth round in front of his fans at the sold-out crowd Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California, broadcast globally on UFC Fight Pass. The card was part of Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions acclaimed Hollywood Fight Nights series.
It was an aggressive, action-oriented matchup, with Sandoval and Duno launching and landing power punches at a high work rate. The pair were evenly matched through the first four rounds of the fight.
But the veteran Duno, who at age 28 has been fighting as a pro for more than ten years, could not match the pace of the 22-year-old Sandoval.
Sandoval began to impose his will, creatively changing speeds and angles to push back Duno. In the sixth round, Sandoval stopped Duno with a right-hand body shot.
“I worked on my defense in the gym, and it felt good to get the knockout,” said Sandoval. “I wanted to knock him out earlier. I knew the body shots would work from watching his previous fights.”
Romero Duno Retires After KO Loss to Cain Sandoval
After the fight, Duno announced via social media that he would retire from boxing. The loss to Sandoval was his second knockout loss in 2024. He had lost to Antonio Moran on a ProBox TV card in January after losing all six rounds on the cards before the knockout.
“After much thought and reflection, I have decided to retire from professional boxing. The truth is, my prime days are behind me,” wrote Duno. “My mind still wants to continue, but my body no longer responds the way it used to. It’s not easy to admit, but it’s the reality.
“I think I did my fair share in the limelight and enjoyed my career, reaching the top at certain points. I would like to remember those glory days of “Ruthless Duno” in my boxing memory.
“Now, it’s time for me to step aside and give the young, upcoming boxers their chance to shine. The “Ruthless” Duno is ready to hang up the gloves and sign out. Thank you for the memories, and God bless.”
Duno regularly appeared on West Coast cards after his early years fighting in the Phillippines, suffering losses to Ryan Garcia and Frank Martin.
Successful American Debut for Akhmedov
Middleweight Sadriddin Akhmedov of Almaty, Kazakhstan (14-0, 12 KOs) won his American debut, but it was a brief appearance. Akhmedov knocked out Antonio Todd of Atlanta (17-11, 9 KOs) in the first round of their scheduled eight-round right. Wanting to make a big first impression, Akhmedov had Todd on the canvas with a big right hand, and Todd couldn’t survive the round. The stoppage time was 2:31.
Dzambekov Gets KO Win
Light heavyweight prospect Umar Dzambekov of Los Angeles (9-0, 6 KOs) scored a fourth-round knockout win over Eddie Ortiz of San Antonio (13-1-2, 5 KOs). Fighting for the first time in nine months, the southpaw Dzambekov took control of the action in the following two rounds, and he connected on a hard right hard to the head to get the win at 54 seconds of the fourth round.
Undercard Wins for Robles, Carrillo
Featherweight Danny Robles of Oxnard, California (9-3-1, 5 KOs) won a spirited four-round decision over Jonathan Almacen Manila, Philippines (7-12-3, 2 KOs). Scores were 40-36, 39-37, and 39-37.
In the Hollywood Fight Nights opening bout, Angel Carrillo of Oxnard, California (3-1, 2 KOs) stopped Josh Navarro of the Philippines (1-2-1) at 2:30 of the third round of their junior featherweight fight.