Michael Conlan shows no worse for wear, dominates Miguel Marriaga

Five months after being knocked out of the ring, Michael Conlan returned to the sport he loves, easily outpointing Miguel Marriaga over 10-rounds at The SSE Arena in Belfast.

Scores were 99-88, 99-88, and 99-89 for Conlan.

In round one, Conlan,30, bounced and jabbed. Marriaga, the stronger puncher, tried to time Conlan. The 30-year-old Conlan scored with a right and left. Conlan touched Marriaga with a long-left hand to the chin in round two. 

Marriaga still hadn’t laid a glove on Conlan. 

Conlan flashed his hands more consistently in round three. Marriaga looked tight. He finally scored with a counter-left hook. Conlan (17-1, 8 KOs) jabbed and moved. Fighting from the southpaw stance, he landed rights and lefts.

In round four, Marriaga (30-6, 25 KOs) fired a whipping right that missed the target. He tried the body. Conlan cuffed Marriaga with a left and followed with combinations. 

Conlan continued to outbox Marriaga,35, in rounds five and six. His jab scored several times – along with a left to the belly. Marriaga scored with a lounging left, but it was all Conlan. A sneaky right floored Marriaga. He got up quickly with a disgusted look on his face.

An annoyed Marriaga needed to up the ante. He’d lost every round. Conlan said hello by clunking him with check hooks. A combination floored Marriaga for a second time. Marriaga looked off balance, and the ring was slippery. 

Would Conlan go for the knockout? He popped his jab and waited. Marriaga was looking for a place to fire his right, but a straight blow sent a slipping Marriaga to the canvas for the third time. 

In the 10th and final round, Marraiga finally came out firing - backing Conlan into the ropes. Conlan had been knocked out in his last fight when he was on the ropes. Marriaga was trying to repeat history - landing   a couple of head shots. Conlan took them and punched back. The danger was over. 

“This was very important, very important," said Conlan. "I had to get rid of a lot of demons tonight," Conlan said.