WBA super-flyweight champion Kal Yafai hammered David Carmona, halting him after seven rounds at the Save Mart Center in Fresno to defend his world title on his American debut.
Carmona had weighed in three pounds over the weight limit and so was ineligible to win the title. Yafai made it a punishing night for him. A seeping left hook knocked Carmona down. But Kal had to withstand a left hook that hurt him in the first round.
But he recovered and excelled. In the third round he landed a crisp right cross and waded in. Three stern straight punches knocked Carmona down in fifth. Yafai’s shots drifted low as he put the Mexican down a third time. Yafai was deducted a point but he continued to batter Carmona and eventually after seven rounds the Mexican couldn’t continue.
“What a way to start your US debut. Putting on a show like that. Being hurt in the first round, getting buzzed, readjusting, coming back and breaking a very, very tough Mexican apart,” Yafai said afterwards.
“My hands are sore, they’re in a bad way. That’s always the case, especially when you’re hitting a hard guy like that. You just have to get on with it.“
Yafai expects to have big fights next. Roman Gonzalez could be a possible target in the long run and rival champion, IBF super-flyweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas was also boxing on the same card. Ancajas defeated Jonas Sultan, unanimously outpointing him 117-111 and 119-109 twice.
