ESPN2 FNF: Kendall Holt vs. Julio Diaz RBR

Top of the hour, simulcast on ESPN3.com

 

Bout #1

Jonathan "Mantequilla" ("butter") Gonzalez vs. Rudy Cisneros, 8 rounds @ light middleweight

Round 1

Cisneros is busy, circling and pushing his jab. Gonzalez just turns calmly with him and waits for the jab, scouting it to throw left hooks to the body under it. Cisneros is missing some high overhand attacks, with Gonzalez arm-blocking and keeping his head hidden behind his gloves. Gonzalez lets Cisneros jab against his wrists, not answering back. Cisneros is still setting a high pace but not getting much done, having all his jabs blocked and slipping a partial right through to the body. A pair of hooks from Gonzalez.

10-9 Gonzalez but not a lot separating them

 

Round 2

They exchange and both land. Gonzalez starts to shuffle to his left and hook away to the body as Cisneros tries to drape overhand shots over him with either arm. They're pressed together head to head, circling slowly and trading with Gonzalez throwing low and Cisneros high. Good jab through the guard by Gonzalez and then he hooks off the jab while turning Cisneros. Gonzalez is switching stances and having some success with it, landing a thudding straight left lead to the body. His right jab isn't so good, though - sort of floating up and past Cisneros' ear wide by several inches. Cisneros is still paddling away with his overhand shots, landing few.

20-18 Gonzalez

 

:nod Which is beyond sad, really. :verysad

 

Round 3

Cisneros is lurching in behind big right hands and getting check-hooked. Gonzalez is actually able to step laterally out of the way and partway around Cisneros and land the hook before Rudy has finished throwing his right. Gonzalez cleaves to the ropes and lets Cisneros come to him. He is not a terribly busy counter-puncher, allowing Cisneros to flap in with his hammering 1-2 blocked and get out with no return fire. Nice explosive 4 punch combo suddenly by Gonzalez. Cisneros misses several punches, with Gonzalez barely working hard at all...just leaning back and bending his neck a few degrees in either direction.

30-27 JG

 

Well, he's one round away from needing at least a knockdown to win.

Not inconceivable. Gonzalez is a bit careless at times (which Atlas is remonstrating him for presently).

 

Round 4

Cisneros is just slamming his way in and lands a good right hand as Gonzalez backs away with guard low. They trade on the inside and Gonzalez has a hook spun away by Cisneros' busily flashing arms. Cisneros is actually doing terrific body punching right now, working Gonzalez over up close while leaned against him. Gonzalez tries to thrust his forearm into Cisneros to get some room but Rudy just keeps wailing away with hooks and uppercuts as he bores his way in. They grind together, neither gaining any ground. Cisneros is the only one punching, and is scoring quite a bit to the body. They each take half a step back and exchange head shots. They both lands but Gonzalez's blows are more telling as Cisneros reacts a bit more dramatically to them. Cisneros leans back in again and starts working those uppercuts and hooks to the body.

10-9 Cisneros

39-37 Gonzalez