ESPN2 FNF: Elvir Muriqi vs. Blake Caparello & Luis Rosa Jr. vs. Jorge Diaz RBR

Round 5

Diaz is tripling his jab moving left. Rosa steps forward and shows a chopping right, just a feint but committed enough that Diaz reacts, dipping in to hold and slamming face-first into Rosa's counter hook. Clinch. Diaz triple-jabs and moves wide outside. Diaz is now bending his knees and quadrupling his jab up at Rosa. Flush hook by Rosa thrown over Diaz's jab and catching him on the eye. Rosa tosses a wide left hook charging in as Diaz flicks some jabs and then meets him halfway, turning into him and tying up.

10-9 Rosa

49-44 Rosa

 

Atlas has it 49-44 to Rosa.

 

Round 6

Diaz is throwing the jab by itself as he coasts around Rosa, going clockwise and keeping distance. Rosa is throwing different combinations surging in, leading with long hooks on the body or straight rights up top by turn, and landing as he gets close throwing four or five punches at once. Diaz is pushed into the ropes where Rosa plugs in body shots with both hands. Diaz doubles the jab into Rosa's guard and slaps with a weak hook, sprinting to his right and tripping onto his hands and knees as the bell sounds.

10-9 Rosa

59-53 Rosa

 

If anyone is getting sleepy, put a pot of coffee on now.

Caparello vs. Muriqi is almost certainly going ten full rounds. (and won't be as exciting as Rosa vs. Diaz - or even Harisson vs. Witherspoon in all likelihood)

 

Stats through six:

Rosa 123 of 383, 32%

Diaz 82 of 262, 31%

 

Round 7

Diaz is getting backed up with overhand rights on the molars and wide left hooks thrown mainly to herd Diaz in the right direction. Rosa is walking Diaz into the ropes and firing in volleys as Diaz dives in and holds. Diaz is jabbing and curling right hands into the body, getting countered with hooking combos on the face. Diaz is grasping onto Rosa's waist and getting dragged across the ring, forced to relinquish his grip and almost doing a face plant on the Corona logo. BIG combo by Rosa before the bell, looping rights and left hooks on the button as Diaz tries but fails to duck them.

10-9 Rosa

69-62 Rosa

 

Round 8

Diaz is getting caught with jabs, clapping rights on the face, and left hooks to finish each combination. Rosa is staying on him and sloughing off Diaz's grabbing attempts, continuing to punch. Diaz is dropping in with a blind overhand right but can't follow up, limply pushing out at Rosa as he backs out of the pocket. Clubbing shots by Rosa moving in as Diaz slumps in front of him and lets himself sag in on Rosa's side. Break by the ref. 1-2 by Rosa, thrown down at the head of Diaz in front of him at stomach level. Clinch. Diaz lets go and tries a right to the body, eating another two-piece. Clinch.

10-9 Rosa

79-71 Rosa

 

Jorge was a punching bag tonight after the 1st round.

Of course, this wasn't quite the same that gave Teon Kennedy hell in their epic war - and it wasn't the stoppage that Yenifel Vicente got over him as a late replacement last year on FNF - but still a good result for Rosa Jr.