(October 12th) Friday night, Morgan City La.’s Deonte Brown (17-0, 11 KOs) extended his undefeated record after defeating Grimardi Machuca (17-3, 14 KOs) in the crowning main event of Red Owl Boxing: Boxfest XVI live on DAZN at The Commerce Casino & Hotel in Commerce, Calif.

In his second outing of 2025, Brown challenged Venezuela’s Machuca for the WBA Continental Americas Super Featherweight Championship. Through elusive head movement and measured footwork, the 29-year-old Brown showcased his ring control and sturdy jab throughout the 10-round championship bout, with all judges scoring the contest in favor of the Louisiana native.

A rematch six years in the making, former world title challenger Saul Sanchez (21-4-1, 12 KOs) squared off against Puerto Rico’s Edwin Rodriguez (12-9-3, 5 KOs) in a highly anticipated redemption bout. In their first meeting in 2019, Rodriguez secured the split decision victory. In tonight’s high-paced eight-round affair, both men traded blows and met each other in the center of the ring, with the bout ultimately being scored a majority draw.

In a super bantamweight battle, Darian Castro (4-0, 1 KO) collided against Long Beach, Calif.’s Criztec Bazaldua (6-2, 1 KO). Facing adversity in the second round after suffering his first knockdown of his career, Castro rose to the occasion and outstruck the towering Bazaldua, resulting in a unanimous decision victory and his undefeated record intact.

The evening’s intro bout featured a historical matchup between 2020 U.S. Olympian Shakilya Ellis (1-0) and seasoned veteran Maria Salinas (27-13-6, 7 KOs). Utilizing her range and impressive speed advantage, the Boston-born star Ellis notched her first professional victory via unanimous decision. Following her decisive victory, Ellis let her fans know to stay tuned as she prepares for a dominant professional career.

In the second televised bout of the night, undefeated rising star Cornellio Phipps (6-0, 2 KOs) made his California debut against Anaheim’s always-exciting Jessie Mandapat (9-3-1, 5 KOs) in a super bantamweight showdown. A bout featuring back-and-forth action with both competitors landing and absorbing power shots, Phipps protected his perfect record via split decision, leaving the Southern California crowd on their feet.

Kicking off the action on the main card, Harrisburg, Pa.’s Angel Perez (10-0-1, 8 KOs) once again put the welterweight division on notice as he registered a first-round knockout over Sachin Rohila (8-5, 2 KOs). Following a majority draw last May, Perez delivered a devastating left hook to the body, putting Rohila down for the count.

Prior to the DAZN-televised portion of the event, Las Vegas’ Kamari Burnside (2-0) dominated Obed Sepulveda (1-9-1) in a four-round affair, securing a unanimous decision victory (40-36, 39-37, 39-37). Compton-born standout Jorge Ruiz (2-0, 2 KOs) saw an excellent sophomore outing, knocking out Prince Martin (1-3, 1 KO) via body punch in round two. In front of his hometown of Los Angeles, Narek Hovhannisyan (2-0, 1 KO) clocked in his first KO of his career against Eric Howard (7-4, 2 KOs) following a fourth-round stoppage victory. The first bout of the night featured a fourth-round disqualification victory in favor of Isaiah Garcia (1-0) over Clayton Hibbert (2-10, 2 KOs).

Following the superb main card, Alejandro Alvarado (2-0, 1 KO) defeated Julio Tanori (2-2, 2 KOs) via unanimous decision, while Chantal Sumrall (1-1-1) of Dallas emerged victorious over Hayley Jordan (0-1) via unanimous decision as well. Tacoma, Wash.’s Samvel Gandilian (7-0-1, 3 KOs) and Sasha Saldana (1-0) both secured unanimous decision victories, Gandilian defeating Brandon Sandoval (3-5, 1 KO) and Saldana defeating Arcana Sharma (3-4, 2 KOs).

A promotion going against the grain, Red Owl Boxing distinguishes itself by constructing true 50/50 fights pitting rising prospects against seasoned veterans. Founded by Gabriel Fanous in 2021, Red Owl Boxing aims to be the premier launchpad for prospects to cut their teeth and for veterans to test their skills against tomorrow’s champions.

WBA CONTINENTAL AMERICAS SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MAIN EVENT – 10 ROUNDS
Deonte Brown (17-0, 11 KOs) defeated Grimardi Machuca (17-3, 14 KOs) via unanimous decision - Scorecards: 96-94, 96-94, 97-93

Brown: “I feel like I went out there and showcased my skills. We knew he was tough, so we wanted to come for the knockout. It would’ve been better if the knockout came but we’ll take it how we got it. We all good. I feel like I can go 10 more rounds.”

BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT – 8 ROUNDS
Saul Sanchez (21-4-1, 12 KOs) vs. Edwin Rodriguez (12-9-3, 5 KOs) determined a majority draw - Scorecards: 78-74, 76-76, 76-76

Sanchez: “I thought I won the fight. I’m not sure what the judges saw. I wasn’t surprised by his approach.”

Rodriguez: “The world saw what happened. I came to fight here and I wasn’t the favorite. I believe I did enough to win the fight. He was aggressive but I thought I did enough to capture the victory.”

“I thought I landed the cleaner and harder punches. He was throwing loopy punches. I was able to counter him. Obviously, my face is pretty clean. I was able to land the more effective shots.”

SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT – 6 ROUNDS
Darian Castro (4-0, 1 KO) defeated Criztec Bazaldua (6-2, 1 KO) via unanimous decision - Scorecards: 57-56, 57-56, 58-55

Castro: “I worked hard for this victory. I stuck to the gameplan. Through hard work and dedication, these are the results.”

FEATHERWEIGHT INTRO BOUT – 6 ROUNDS
Shakilya Ellis (1-0) defeated Maria Salinas (27-13-6, 7 KOs) via unanimous decision - Scorecards: 60-54, 58-56, 59-55

Ellis: “It feels like I’m just getting started. I accomplished what I had to in the amateurs, now I’m trying to take over the professionals. Stay tuned.”

“In the amateurs you have to throw lots of punches, while in the professionals you can sit down on your punches and crack.”

On if she feels she will be fast tracked to a title “Yes because most of these females haven’t had to fight someone like me. They haven’t had to fight Shakilya Ellis. That’s the big difference.”

SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT – 6 ROUNDS
Cornellio Phipps (6-0, 2 KOs) defeated Jessie Mandapat (9-3-1, 5 KOs) via split decision - Scorecards: 59-55, 56-58, 58-56

Phipps: “I think I did good getting in there with a great opponent with a good record like Jessie [Mandapat]. I was able to showcase my skills on a big stage so I’m feeling great.”

“We’ve been working a lot in the gym for this night. I’ve been sparring against the top amateurs to prepare. I should have used more of my jab, but we pulled it off.”

“I learned a lot from this matchup. I learned that I need to use my jab more and capitalize on different angles.”

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT – 4 ROUNDS
Angel Perez (10-0-1, 8 KOs) defeated Sachin Rohila (8-5, 2 KOs) via first round knockout (2:04)

Perez: “That was amazing. I told you all that it was going to be a spectacular night. I was feeling him out. I knew he was an awkward fighter. I didn’t want to get too ahead of myself, but when I landed that body shot, it was so clean that I knew he was going to the floor.”

“I worked very hard this training camp. I doubled up on everything I do. I left it all in God’s hands. I just want to say that I’m thankful and blessed.”

Red Owl Boxing is a media company positioned to usher in the next generation of boxing’s stars and bring attention to all levels of the sport we love. The company is bringing structure to boxing’s next generation with consistent programming featuring top prospects, action-packed fights, and gritty veterans fighting to earn a place in major events.

The sport of boxing is more fractured than ever. Major players have exited the space, the best fights are on pay-per-view and there is a lack of consistency in scheduling the sport’s brightest and best. Red Owl Boxing is reviving boxing’s middle class by consistently highlighting tomorrow’s future stars and contenders in action-packed fights.