Gabriela Fundora KOs Kubicki

Doubleheader Title Defenses for Golden Boy Promotions at Fantasy Springs

(Photos by Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy Promotions) 

By Lauren Rodriguez

INDIO, Ca. — It was a doubleheader night of retainment at the Golden Boy Promotions fight card inside Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino. The event center packed in a sold-out crowd for an eight-bout showcase streamed live on DAZN.

The main event featured a clash for the WBO World Minimum as Puerto Rican champion Oscar Collazo (13-0, 10 KO’s) defended against Filipino challenger Jayson Vayson (14-2-1, 8 KO’s) in a scheduled 12-round bout.

Collazo wasted no time, landing a clean right hand in the first round that sent Vayson flying. The challenger managed to rise before the bell, but Collazo kept up the pressure, controlling the exchanges and keeping Vayson against the ropes by the sixth round. In the seventh, officials motioned to referee Thomas Taylor to halt the bout after Vayson went moments without responding to Collazo’s punishment. The fight was stopped at 1:41 of the round, awarding Collazo a knockout victory.

“I kept working on what my corner told me to do and we got the stop,” Collazo said. “We wanted to make him fail and punish him with body shots. We want unification, and if not, then we’ll move up in weight. To the great champions in other divisions — let’s make it happen.”

Unified flyweight contender Ricardo Sandoval was also in attendance, and Collazo expressed interest in facing him:

“We are in the same company. It is a matter of talking and negotiating. It would be a great fight for the fans of Puerto Rico and Mexico. Another great rivalry.”

Fundora Kos Kubicki

In the co-main event, the youngest undisputed champion in boxing and Coachella Valley hometown hero, Gabriela Fundora (16-0, 8 KO’s), defended her WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF, and Ring flyweight titles against Canadian challenger Alexas Kubicki (13-2, 2 KO’s), successfully retaining her belts with another knockout victory.

From the opening bell, Fundora dictated the pace, landing sharp left jabs and right hooks that dazed Kubicki. The Canadian fighter attempted to close the distance and hold on the inside, but the Coachella native’s long reach and relentless body work proved overwhelming.

Kubicki suffered a cut above her left eye that was checked before the seventh round. Fueled by the injury, Fundora went on the attack and landed a punishing combination that forced referee Ray Corona to stop the contest just 43 seconds into the seventh round. Fundora improved to 17-0, 9 KO’s, remaining undisputed.

“I expected her to come 100%, and I think she did, but I came a million,” Fundora said.

Her brother, Sebastian Fundora, the WBC super welterweight champion, was in her corner alongside their father. Gabriela spoke afterward about their bond, as she plans to support him in his upcoming fight against Keith Thurman on October 25.

“We’re just best friends. I trust him and he trusts me. He’s the second pair of eyes I know I can rely on. If he sees something along with my dad and tells me to do it, I’m going to do it.”

Other bouts

The undercard featured several action-packed matchups:

In the welterweight division, Uzbekistan’s Ruslan Abdullaev (2-0, 1 KO) faced off against Las Vegas veteran Kevin Johnson (12-7, 8 KOs) in a battle of strength and endurance. Abdullaev’s heavy punches rattled the arena, each thud announcing his dominance in the early rounds and leaving Johnson struggling to mount an effective counterattack. By the fifth round, Johnson found a burst of energy and fired back, testing his opponent’s stamina, but Abdullaev’s early advantage proved decisive. The judges scored the bout 87-82 and 79-73 in favor of Abdullaev. Abdullaev improves to (3-0,1 KO).

Fellow welterweight Joel Iriarte, of Bakersfield, faced Eduardo Hernandez of Tijuana. Wearing black-and-green trunks, Iriarte landed a crushing liver shot in Round 2 that floored Hernandez. By the third, Hernandez was visibly fatigued and went down again at 2:06, giving Iriarte the knockout victory and keeping his undefeated record intact.

The DAZN opener featured Grant Flores (11-0, 9 KO’s) against  Courtney Pennington (17-9-3, 7 KO’s) in a middleweight clash. Flores used his jab and defense to control the action, while Pennington often clinched and leaned on him. In the eighth round, Flores unleashed a barrage of punches that sealed the unanimous decision win with scores of 80-71 and 79-72, improving his record to 12-0.

In the featherweight division, Gael Cabrera (10-0, 7 KO’s) knocked out Judy Flores (14-5, 8 KO’s) at 2:59 of the first round.

In the super middleweight division, Javid Ramirez (15-0, 7 KO’s) earned a unanimous 60-54 decision victory over Argentine fighter Brian Arregui (11-7, 7 KO’s).

In the flyweight division, Adriana Pineiro (8-0, 1 KO’s) dominated Gloria Mungilla (8-2) through eight rounds, winning 80-72 on all scorecards and remaining undefeated.