Edgar Berlanga stops Padraig McCrory

For the first time, an Edgar Berlanga fight did not end in the first round or go the distance.

The Brooklyn, N.Y. super middleweight, finished a fight inside the distance for the first time after five straight decisions, stopping Padraig McCrory in the sixth round of a scheduled 10 at Caribe Royale Resort on Saturday. 

Berlanga (22-0, 17 knockouts) dropped McCrory with an overhand right in the final minute of the sixth round. Referee Christopher Young stopped the fight at 2:44. 

McCrory, of Belfast, Northern Ireland, dropped to 18-1 (9).

“It feels amazing,” Berlanga said. “It was super-important that I do well.I told McCrory I was losing sleep over this fight. The Irish are strong (expletive). He came to fight. (The power) never went away. I’m not going to knock out everyone in the first round. I’m not just an offensive fighter.” 

Berlanga retained his WBO NABO super middleweight title. He’s also now the No. 1 mandatory contender for the WBA 168-pound title that Canelo Álvarez holds.

“I want him now,” Berlanga said. “I want him one thousand percent.”

The first few rounds were uneventful but McCrory was coming forward through the first two rounds, landing an occasional jab or left hook.

Berlanga became more active, beginning in the third round, and bloodied McCrory’s nose.

In the fourth round, Berlanga started to land flush and drive McCrory back into the ropes with left hooks.

“I could tell I was wearing him down,” Berlanga said.

Berlanga began his career with 16 straight first-round stoppages. He then went the distance in his next five fights.

Andy Cruz of Cuba retained his IBF International and WBA Continental Latin America lightweight titles with a 10-round unanimous decision over Brayan Zamarripa of Mexico.

All three judges scored it 100-90.

Cruz, a 2020 Olympic Gold medalist, improved to 3-0 (1 KO). By the midway point of the fight, Cruz had bloodied Zamarripa’s nose and kept him on the defensive, following him around the ring and getting little, if anything in return. Zamarripa dropped to 14-3 (5). 

Shakhram Giyasov won a WBA world welterweight title eliminator against Pablo Cesar Cano by technical decision when Cano sustained an injury to his right leg when the two fighters got tangled up with each over at the end of the 11th round.

All three judges scored 109-99 for Giyasov, a 2016 Olympic Silver medalist from Uzbekistan, who improved to 15-0 (9). Cano, of Mexico, dropped to 35-9-1 (25). 

In the closing seconds of the 11th, the two fighters were battling in the middle of the ring when their legs were tangled. Giyasov shoved Cano to the mat. The ringside physician examined Cano and referee Luis Pabon ruled the incident an accidental foul. 

Giyasov scored the only knockdown in the third, with a right hand to the body.

Antonio Vargas of nearby Kissimmee, Fla. won a WBA bantamweight world title eliminator when Jonathan Rodriguez’s corner stopped the fight after the seventh round. Vargas (18-1, 10 KOs) dropped Rodriguez for the second time, landing a left hook just before the end of the seventh round.  Shortly after Rodriguez got up he returned to his corner. Just before the start of the eighth round, Rodriguez’ corner signaled to referee Christopher Young that they were stopping the fight. 

Vargas survived a knockdown at the end of the first round when Rodriguez put him on his seat with a left hook.

Near the end of the second, Vargas forced Rodriguez to a knee with a left hook. Vargas

landed a right with Rodriguez still on a knee, drawing a caution from Young. Vargas remained in control for the rest of the fight.

Rodriguez of Bethlehem, Pa., dropped to 17-2-1 (7).

Yankiel Rivera, a 2020 Olympian from Puerto Rico, captured the WBA and WBC Continental Americas flyweight titles with a 10-round unanimous decision over Andy Dominguez of Las Vegas. All three judges scored it 99-91 for Rivera, now 5-0 (2). Dominguez, a native of Mexico, dropped to 10-1 (5). 

In an eight-round junior lightweight bout, Joseph Fernandez of St. Petersburg, Fla, won an eight-round unanimous decision against Aaron Aponte of Hialeah, Fla. The scores were 78-74 (twice) and 77-75. Hernandez improved to 18-5-3 (6). Aponte dropped to 8-2-1 (2).