Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz Stops Nestor Bravo

In Six To Retain Interim WBC Title!

(September 19th) Mexico City’s,  Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz retained his WBC Interim Super Lightweight Championship Saturday night, stopping Arecibo, Puerto Rico's, Nestor Bravo of, by knockout at 1:30 of the sixth round in the main event at Pechanga Arena.

The 28-year-old Cruz, who entered the contest at 28-3-2 with 18 knockouts, improved to 29-3-2 with 19 knockouts with the victory. Bravo, who began the night 24-1 with 17 knockouts, fell to 24-2. The Premier Boxing Champions event was streamed live on DAZN. PBC’s official statistics list Cruz at 28 and Bravo at 32 for the bout.

Cruz established his trademark pressure from the opening bell and scored an early knockdown in the first round, forcing Bravo onto the defensive immediately. The fight quickly became physical, however, as Bravo repeatedly attempted to disrupt Cruz’s forward momentum with clinches, grabbing and other rough tactics.

Referee Thomas Taylor deducted one point from Bravo in the second round for excessive holding and took another point away in the fourth after Bravo threw Cruz to the canvas. Taylor repeatedly warned Bravo that continued fouls could lead to disqualification. Cruz also received warnings during the contest as Taylor struggled to maintain control of the increasingly unruly action.

The champion nevertheless maintained his composure and continued to close the distance. Cruz entered the sixth round ahead 50-42 on all three official scorecards, with the two-point difference reflecting the deductions against Bravo. The fight ended before the judges could be called upon, however, when Cruz timed Bravo’s approach and landed a devastating left hook.

The punch sent Bravo heavily to the canvas, and the Arecibo native was unable to rise before Taylor completed the count. The official time of the knockout was 1:30 of Round 6, giving Cruz his first victory since his majority draw with Lamont Roach Jr. in December 2025 and another successful defense of his interim WBC championship.

Cruz immediately turned his attention toward another major opportunity after the victory. During his post-fight interview, the Mexico City native directly called out Ryan Garcia, saying, “Hey Ryan, I’m here. My next fight is with you. Come on Ryan, come on.” Garcia subsequently responded publicly, saying an offer was on the table and indicating interest in a potential December meeting. No Cruz-Garcia bout had been formally finalized as of September 20.

Cruz also indicated that he would be interested in facing the winner of the upcoming Dalton Smith-Alberto Puello title fight, leaving open the possibility of another major assignment in the 140-pound division.

The card underwent a significant change before fight night when Casa Grande, Arizona 25-year-old, Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. was forced to withdraw from his scheduled WBC interim middleweight title fight against 33-year-old Meiirim Nursultanov of Ayagoz, Kazakhstan. Ramos was hospitalized after becoming ill and was subsequently released. Premier Boxing Champions announced that the bout would be rescheduled. The withdrawal elevated the Blancas-Jimenez matchup on the card.

Milwaukee’s 25-year-old, Daniel “Ice Man” Blancas took advantage of the elevated position, stopping San Pedro, California's, 39-year-old, Sergio “Checo” Jimenez at 1:38 of the seventh round in their scheduled 10-round super middleweight contest. Blancas, who entered at 15-0 with seven knockouts, improved to 16-0 with eight knockouts. Jimenez, who began the night 17-1-1 with 15 knockouts, suffered the first stoppage defeat of his professional career and fell to 17-2-1. The Ring confirmed Blancas’ seventh-round stoppage and identified him as a Milwaukee fighter.

Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico’s, 24-year-old, Marco “Green” Verde remained unbeaten with a fifth-round technical knockout of Guillermo Hernandez in their middleweight contest. The Mexican Olympic silver medalist improved to 7-0, while Hernandez suffered his first professional defeat and fell to 7-1. Verde, born and based in Mazatlán, won the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and entered the contest with a 6-0 professional record.

Las Vegas-based, Eumir Felix Marcial produced one of the evening’s most spectacular finishes, knocking out San Ysidro, California's, Omar Ulises “La Bala” Huerta at 1:08 of the third round. Marcial, a 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist, improved from 7-0 with four knockouts to 8-0 with five knockouts. Huerta, who entered 15-1-1 with 13 knockouts, fell to 15-2-1. The result was confirmed by the live results from Pechanga Arena.

San Diego, 27-year-old, Lazaro Francisco “El Rey” Lorenzana remained unbeaten with a majority decision over Tijuana, Mexico's, Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez after eight rounds. Lorenzana entered the contest unbeaten and continued that run with the decision victory, while the 34-year-old, Vazquez Rodriguez suffered his third professional defeat. 

San Diego’s, 22-year-old, Diego Luna earned a unanimous decision over Las Vegas, Renny Viamonte Mastrapa in their six-round super lightweight contest. Luna scored two early knockdowns and controlled the fight, although he was deducted a point in the final round for punching after the break. All three judges scored the contest 59-52 for Luna.

In a scheduled six-round heavyweight contest, Newbury Park, California, 23-year-old, Valerii Tadtaev remained perfect with a first-round knockout of Fostoria, Ohio's, 32-year-old Juan Silva. Tadtaev improved to 6-0 with six knockouts, while Silva dropped to 3-2.

in a scheduled six round lightweight contest, Las Vegas,  Robert Guerrero Jr., the 19 year old son of former world champion Robert "The Ghost" Guerreo scored a first-round knockout over Bedford, Ohio's, 36-year-old, Shawn Rall. Guerrero Jr. improves to 9-0 with four knockouts, while Rall fell to 4-8.