Najee Lopez survives knockdown to overcome Steven Sumpter in UD

Undefeated light heavyweight Najee Lopez secured a unanimous decision victory over previously unbeaten Steven Sumpter on “Wednesday Night Fights” at the ProBox TV Events Center in Plant City, Florida.

The judges scored the bout 77-74, 78-73, and 78-73 in favor of Lopez.

In the first round, a left hook to the body from Lopez (11-0, 8 KOs) hurt Sumpter (9-1-1, 7 KOs), prompting him to hold and disengage for the remainder of the round. Sumpter recharged in the second round and utilized his tricky left hand, as noted by ProBox TV commentator Chris Algieri. Yet Lopez controlled the pace and targeted the body, increasing his work rate. Although Sumpter landed punches between Lopez’s shots, he reacted visibly to a punch from Lopez at the end of Round 2, prompting Lopez to smile.

Between rounds, Sumpter’s coach, Hector Bermudez, advised him to slow the pace. Lopez, 24, from Ellenwood, Georgia, maintained constant pressure, landing effectively to the body and scoring with an eye-catching uppercut. At the end of the third round, Lopez landed a series of powerful punches on the ropes, leaving Sumpter, 30, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, looking frustrated.

In a surprising moment at the end of Round 4, Sumpter dropped Lopez, who had abandoned his jab, with a counter left hand while he sat on the ropes. Lopez’s coach, Marc Farrait, urged him to use his jab more effectively. Following the excitement of that round, the fight settled into a lull, with both fighters becoming more conservative.

A left hook from Lopez appeared to drop Sumpter in Round 7, but referee Michael DeJesus ruled it a slip. In the final 10 seconds, Lopez landed significant shots, drawing blood from Sumpter’s mouth. The bout concluded with an intense staredown, followed by mutual respect between the fighters after a grueling contest. Lopez controlled the fight, but Sumpter’s sporadic offensives prevented Lopez from fighting in cruise control.

In the opening bout, super middleweight Weljon Mindoro, secured a second-round knockout over Tyler Goodjohn. The stoppage occurred 2 minutes and 46 seconds into the round.

Mindoro (12-0-1, 12 KOs), known for his knockout power, initially faced pressure from Goodjohn, a seasoned professional and former bare-knuckle fighter, who gained confidence in the first round and appeared comfortable in the second.

However, Goodjohn’s confidence led to his downfall when Mindoro, 24, of the Philippines,  countered with a left hook that dropped him. Although Goodjohn, 33, from Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, rose quickly, a subsequent right uppercut further destabilized him. Moments later, after exchanging punches, Goodjohn’s legs gave out, prompting referee Michael DeJesus to halt the fight.

Goodjohn’s aggressive strategy ultimately contributed to the fight’s stoppage. The win pushes Mindoro’s knockout streak to 12 straight to start his career.