The Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California hosted a fight night filled with surprises and controversy, as in the main event Manny Flores (15-1, 11 KOs) was fighting against Walter Santibanes (12-2-1, 2 KOs). In the co-main event, former Featherweight world champion Jelena Mrdjenovich (42-12-2, 19 KOs) squared of with Calista “Cali” Silgado (21-17-4, 16 KOs).
Flores, a southpaw hailing from Coachella, CA, faced a devastating defeat after Santibanes, also a southpaw, from Phoenix, AZ, displayed a formidable performance in the main event. The contest commenced with closely fought rounds, Santibanes, however, managed to gain the upper hand by switching skillfully between southpaw and orthodox stances. His prowess ensured his dominance throughout the bout, leading to a lopsided victory with scorecards reading 100-90 and 99-91 twice in his favor.
In the co-feature of the night, controversy reigned as Mrdjenovich clinched an unpopular majority decision over Silgado. The fight proved to be a rollercoaster, with Silgado presenting a solid fight against Mrdjenovich’s counterattacks. Both fighters gave their all in the final rounds, but the decision swayed towards Mrdjenovich with scores of 95-95, 97-93, and 96-94. The verdict left many in the audience believing Silgado had done enough to secure a draw.
In the undercard, super featherweight Daniel Garcia (6-0, 5 KOs) stopped “Duro” Luis May (22-17-1, 8 KOs) in the first round of their scheduled six-round contest. Gael “El Terrorista” Cabrera (1-0, 1 KO), an 18-year-old Super Bantamweight southpaw, made a remarkable debut by finishing Ulises Rosales (0-7, 0 KOs) in the opening round of their bout. Patricio “Cacahuate” Manuel (3-0, 0 KOs) triumphed over Alexander Gutierrez (0-2, 0 KOs) in a four-round contest, ending the fight night on a high note.
Official full event replay on Youtube
Image Credit: Golden Boy Promotions