All eyes were glued to the ring during Friday’s sold out LA Fight Club at the Belasco Theater as Diego Magdaleno left victorious against Art Hovhanissyan via unanimous decision victory. Glendale native Hovhannisyan (17-3-3, 9 KOs) battled against Magdaleno (29-2, 12 KOs) in a complete slugfest.
The bout showcased both of the fighter’s relentlessness in the ring, as both exchanged a series of punches from start to finish. During the fourth round, Magdaleno received a head butt, resulting in a cut over his eye, but that didn’t stop him from winning the fight via unanimous decision with the judges all scoring it 99-91.
“Entering the ring, every boxer has a chance to get the knockout-and that’s what I came for. However, I’m satisfied with the unanimous decision that I received tonight,” said Magdaleno. “Hovhannisyan was a tough opponent, but I was able to outbox him. The energy at LA FIGHT CLUB was one I have never seen before, and that definitely propelled me to put my all in to this fight, especially after taking a year off. I’m more ready than ever, and I’m looking forward to the new opportunities after winning this fight.”
“I knew what to expect from my opponent, but I feel like I didn’t fight as well as I should have. However, I did fight with my whole heart,” said Hovhannisyan. “Going forward, I’ll be looking over the tape with my coach to go over my mistakes and what I should work on. I want to thank Golden Boy for tonight’s event and this opportunity. The next steps are getting rest and healing my hand which was hurt in the fight.”
The evening’s co-main event broadcast on the Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar featured tough Philadelphia fighter Damon “No Smiling'” Allen Jr. (11-0-1, 4 KOs) facing experienced Mexican fighter Luis Arceo (28-15-5, 18 KOs) in a fight going the distance. Throughout the bout, each fighter attempted to gain the upper hand going up against one another with exchanges of hits and blocks-resulting in a draw with all three judges scoring it 76-76.
“I knew it was going to be a tough fight because Arceo had a ton of experience under his belt,” spoke Damon Allen. “I made the fight harder than it had to be. It was a learning experience, and we are definitely going back to the drawing board after this. I want a rematch.”
“I honestly feel like I was robbed,” said Luis Arceo. “Each time I would unleash my punches, he would run away. I was the tougher fighter, and I am glad that the judges saw that. I entered the ring as the underdog, and with this draw I feel like I was vindicated.”
Opening the Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar telecast, Maricela “La Diva” Cornejo (4-2, 2 KOs) battled against Eliza Olson (9-6-3, 2 KOs) in a scheduled six round super middleweight fight. As the second female fight ever to take place at the Belasco Theater’s LA FIGHT CLUB, both female fighters brought their A-game as they exchanged hits and blocks in a bout resulting in Cornejo taking home a unanimous decision victory.
“I used my jab, and kept my distance because Olson is known as an unpredictable fighter,” said Maricela Cornejo. “I wasn’t pleased with the outcome-we all want to win via knock out-but I love the fact that I got to demonstrate good footwork and skills that will continue to empower women’s boxing. I’m excited to be a part of LA FIGHT CLUB, and I know that I’ll be back.”
It was an all-out brawl as Joseph “Diamante” Aguirre (15-0, 9 KOs) won via knockout in the fifth round in a scheduled six-round super welterweight fight against Roberto Carlos “Magnifico” Rivera (6-3, 5 KOs). It was a bloody exchange, and in the second round, Rivera began bleeding through the nose due to the relentless jabs from Aguirre. Finally in the fifth round, Aguirre landed a powerful right hand body shot at 1:45 dropping Rivera to the mat.
“He had a tough punch, and his uppercuts were a wall that kept me from going in,” said Aguirre after his knock-out win. “I wanted to finish him off earlier, and I knew that I had to work him by starting with the body and working myself up. It was a tough match, but I got the knock out for being the better fighter.”
LA FIGHT CLUB fan favorite and Santa Monica local, David Mijares (4-0, 3 KOs) won in a four-round super lightweight match up against Tijuana’s Jason Gavino (3-4, 2 KOs). Mijares entered the ring cautious, and after a couple of heated exchanges exerted his control of the ring. It was a cross-over body shot from Mijares that initially hurt Gavino, and finished off the job with three consecutive uppercuts that caused Gavino to go down during the first round at 2:42, landing Mijares the knock out.
“I knew entering the ring I had to take him seriously, especially after one of his jabs to my lead hand,” said David Mijares. “I knew that my punch to the body had hurt him because I felt him shake. I am excited to go eat some food, and then hit the gym again to train.”
Opening up the night, Mexico City’s Marvin Cabrera (1-0, 1 KO) won his first fight in afour-round welterweight bout against Jose Caro (0-4) of Tuscon, AZ with a left hook to the face leaving Caro unstable and leading the referee to stop the fight at 1:17 within the first round, landing Cabrera the technical knockout of the fight.
“It feels great to get my first win here at the Belasco,” spoke Cabrera. “I have made many sacrifices, especially leaving my entire family in Mexico, and this first win has proven it is worth it, and those sacrifices are paying off. It’s only the beginning.”
