Espinoza Retains WBO Title via 10th-Round Stoppage

Rafael Espinoza retained his WBO featherweight title with a dominant 10th-round corner stoppage victory over Arnold Khegai on Saturday night at Arena Coliseo in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The unbeaten Mexican champion, fighting in his home country for the first time since capturing the belt, overwhelmed the Ukrainian challenger with relentless pressure and precise combinations, leaving Khegai too battered to continue.

Espinoza, who improved to 28-0 with 24 knockouts, controlled the bout from the opening bell, using his 6-foot-1 frame and piston-like jab to keep the shorter Khegai at bay. The challenger, dropping to 23-2 with 14 knockouts in his first title fight, showed resilience, landing occasional heavy right hands that tested Espinoza's chin. However, Khegai's output was insufficient against the champion's high-volume assault. A clash of heads in the seventh round opened a cut over Khegai's left eye, which swelled shut as Espinoza targeted it with uppercuts and hooks. By the eighth round, both of Khegai's eyes were badly swollen, and his nose bled profusely.

Khegai's corner issued warnings after the eighth round, urging him to mount a comeback or risk the fight being halted....