What to Know
- An ugly fight ended mercifully with a left hook knockout by Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz over Nestor Bravo Saturday night in San Diego.
- Bravo seemed shell-shocked after an early knockdown by Pitbull Cruz and never mounted any serious offense.
- After his win, Cruz called out Ryan Garcia – in English. Garcia responded.
Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz thrilled his devoted fans from both sides of the border at San Diego’s Pechanga Arena, winning an ugly brawling bout with challenger Nestor Bravo in the Premier Boxing Champions “DAZN Fight Night” main event.
After withstanding mayhem from Bravo that saw him lose two points for holding and throwing, Cruz of Mexico City (29-3-2, 19 KOs) decked Bravo of Arecibo, Puerto Rico (24-2, 17 KOs) with a terrific left hook. Referee Thomas Taylor counted Bravo out at 1:36 of the round.
“It feels very good. This victory means the world to me. This is just bigger and better opportunities it’s going to open up,” said Cruz.
Ugly Fight? Ask Thomas Taylor
The enthusiastic crowd in San Diego enjoyed the fight, cheering their hero Cruz on through every minute of every round. But for fans at home, it was an ugly fight and difficult to watch at times.
The fight devolved after Cruz landed an early knockdown in the first round. Bravo admitted later that shot threw him off his game, and he never really recovered. Instead of using his generous height and reach advantage, Bravo decided to make it a brawl.
Referee Thomas Taylor worked extremely hard for his paycheck on Saturday, intervening far too often to maintain order and repeatedly warning Bravo about holding.
“This is getting ugly. Stop!” said Taylor to Bravo at the start of the second round. After Bravo continued to foul Cruz, Taylor stopped the action to lecture Bravo. “Listen to me! You’re getting close to being DQ’d, all right? Stop this shit, or we’re going to stop the fight. Do you understand? This isn’t a debate! Do you understand?” as Taylor deducted a point for holding.
Taylor had to lay down the law again at the start of round three, calling both fighters to the center of the ring. “This is where this shit ends, right here. Stop this bullshit. Let’s get back to fighting. Enough of this dirty shit!” warned Taylor.
In the fourth round, Taylor finally had enough with Bravo’s misbehavior, telling him, “Bro, you’re forcing my hand. You realize that? I’m done. You get disqualified, you’re not getting paid,” and he deducted a point for throwing Cruz.
Mercifully Swift End For Bravo
Bravo cleaned up his act and began to box, but he was in such a deep hole with a knockdown and two point deductions that the fight was out of his reach. When Cruz landed his impressive left hook in the sixth round, Bravo did not make a serious effort to get up. Taylor’s count was quick. He was just as eager as Bravo to call it a night.
“Listen, the performance speaks for itself (with) that left hand. I was prepared for anything he brought to the table, and my plan worked,” said Cruz. Later, Cruz credited working with a psychologist for helping him keep his temper in check when Bravo resorted to dirty tricks.
“Bravo was taking me out of my comfort zone, making things rather chippy. But I’ve got to give credit to the work I’ve done with my psychologist, the way I was mentally able to keep my feet on the ground, not lose my temper, just stay even, and that helped me a lot,” said Cruz.
“It’s not just about feeling good physically; it’s about feeling good mentally.”
Pitbull Cruz Calls Out Ryan Garcia
Cruz said he’d like to face the winner of the upcoming title fight between Dalton Smith and Alberto Puello. “I think everyone here saw what I could do.”
But then he issued a surprising challenge, in English. “Just one more thing (in English) Hey Ryan, I’m here. My next fight for you. Come on Ryan, come on!”
Garcia immediately responded via social media.
Bravo pit bull proved me wrong tonight
Let’s do this in December the offer is on the table
I can tame a lion I’m not to concerned about taming a pit bull.
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) September 20, 2026
Garcia added a second post, saying “VAMOS CABRON,” and then followed up: “I’ve already given the go to my attorney – if he rejects this time I will never give him another chance you have my word.”
Later, Cruz’s manager Sean Gibbons said the earliest such a fight would take place is into 2027, so it’s not likely Cruz will be the opponent for the return fight Garcia says he wants in December.
Blancas Scores TKO7
In the co-main event, super middleweight prospect Daniel “Iceman” Blancas of Milwaukee (16-0, 8 KOs) remained undefeated with a TKO7 win over veteran contender Sergio Jimenez of Mexicali (17-2-1, 15 KOs). It was the first stoppage of Jimenez’ pro career.
Blancas focused on the body and kept Jimenez under pressure to stifle his offense. Jimenez found ways to land several hard right hands. San Diego fans cheered the veteran Jimenez’s effort and bravery.
“I may not have won the fight, but I did feel like I won the fans over,” said Jimenez. “And that’s what it’s all about. Taking something positive from a fight, win or lose.
Blancas said going rounds with a good veteran like Jimenez will benefit him. “I gained a lot in there. He took so many punches, especially those body shots. So I had to make adjustments, listen to my corner, and just keep breaking him down as the fight went on.”
The stoppage might have seemed premature or poorly timed, but the accumulation of damage and a stretch of offense by Blancas that Jimenez couldn’t answer prompted referee Ray Corona to step in and wave off the fight at 1:38 of round seven.
Marcos Verde Delivers Knockout Win
Paris 2024 Mexican Olympic Silver Medalist Marco Verde of Mazatlán (7-0, 4 KOs) handed Guillermo Hernandez of Calgary, Alberta, Canada (7-1, 4 KOs) his first loss with a fifth round knockout win in their super middleweight bout.
Verde showed a solid toolkit of punching, speed, and precision. Verde said he was prepared to go the scheduled eight rounds and felt better as the fight progressed. He said he plans to return in December. “I was just getting warmed up, to be honest. I couldn’t let my hands go tonight, I needed a few more rounds.” Hernandez may have felt differently, as he lost a front tooth as a result of Verde’s efforts.
Eumir Marcial Makes Most of His Opportunity
Exciting Filipino prospect Eumir Marcial of Las Vegas (8-0, 5 KOs) was elevated to the main event when the Ramos Jr. vs Nursultanov co-main was canceled. Marcial made the most of it, defeating Omar Huerta of San Diego (15-2-1, 13 KOs) with a spectacular one-punch knockout in the third round.
Marcial countered a Herta left cross with a perfectly timed right hook that dropped Huerta to the canvas and ended the fight.
“I was waiting for that left hand to counter it,” Marcial said. “In the second round, he landed a couple of them. So, I watched for that punch, and you saw the outcome. My corner told me that you’ve already warmed up, just let your hands go. I saw the punch, and we got the knockout.”
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
