MIGUEL Angel Mendoza predicted that Rey ?Boom-Boom? Bautista would kiss the canvas in the sixth round but it was the other way around as the Mexican knockout artist suffered his first career loss with a sixth-round knockout last Saturday in the main event of ?Pinoy Pride 10? at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.
Mendoza came into the fight looking for a knockout as he immediately enticed Bautista to a brawl, landing a couple of big shots early in the first round. Bautista chose not to engage and was on defensive mode.
But Mendoza got shocked in the first round as he was sent to the canvas with a crisp left jab. Bautista once again knocked down Mendoza with the same left punch later that round.
In the second round, both fighters were bloodied after a ferocious exchange of heavy punches.
And in the 1:20 mark of the sixth, Mendoza was counted out after getting tagged with a left hook to the head by the 25-year-old former world title challenger.
?I tried hard to knock him out because I saw that it was already the sixth round,? said Bautista, who defended his International Boxing Federation International featherweight belt and improved to 32-2 with 24 knockouts.
Mendoza suffered his first career loss and fell to 17-1-1 with 17 knockouts.
