Abraham Perez continued his remarkable and inspiring comeback from a near-fatal drowning accident that left him fighting for his life in a coma two years ago. On a dramatic night of fights in front of his passionate hometown supporters at the Kiva Auditorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Perez successfully retained his WBA interim flyweight title with a dominant and comprehensive victory over Yankiel Rivera on Saturday night.
Fighting with the fierce determination of a man who knows the true value of a second chance at life and sport, the unbeaten champion completely controlled the contest. The definitive moment of the early rounds came in the second stanza, when Perez caught Rivera with a blistering right-left combination that sent him crashing to the canvas.
Although Rivera managed to beat the referee’s count and survive the round, he emerged from the knockdown with a badly bloody nose. The punishment did not let up as Perez aggressively pressed his advantage, systematically breaking down his challenger over the subsequent rounds. Another sharp straight right hand sent Rivera stumbling backward in the fourth round, though Perez did face a brief moment of adversity moments later when he suffered a cut over his left eye following an accidental clash of heads.
Despite the cut and Rivera’s best efforts to turn the tide, Perez remained composed and firmly in control, cruising to a unanimous decision victory. The judges’ scorecards heavily reflected his dominance, reading 118-109, 120-107, and 119-109 in favor of the champion. With the win, Perez improved his unblemished professional record to 16 victories without a defeat, featuring seven knockouts.
Following the bout, an emotional Perez spoke to the crowd about the profound significance of the victory and his ultimate ambitions in the sport.
"To have my family, my team, and my hometown behind me means everything," Perez said afterward, absorbing the cheers of the Albuquerque faithful. "I’m ready for the next challenge. I have a lot of respect for the champions in this division, but my goal is to become a world champion. I want to keep testing myself against the best and prove that I belong at the highest level. Whoever is next, I’ll be ready."
Perez’s journey back to the championship stage remains one of the most remarkable stories in modern boxing. His terrifying health ordeal began after a near-fatal drowning accident in August 2024 that resulted in a medically induced coma. Defying the odds and the gravity of his medical scare, Perez managed to complete a full physical recovery, stepping back into the ring and ultimately capturing the interim championship by defeating Jonathan Gonzalez in June 2026. Saturday night’s victory added another triumphant chapter to an already legendary personal comeback.
Taduran Retains IBF World Title
In the co-feature division action, Pedro Taduran successfully defended his IBF minimumweight championship against previously unbeaten mandatory challenger Brandon Moreno in a hard-fought battle.
The seasoned Filipino champion utilized his vast experience and technical skills to control much of the championship distance. However, the official judges differed significantly in how they perceived the action from ringside. Two of the scoring officials awarded Taduran a relatively narrow 115-113 victory, reflecting a competitive and tightly contested affair. Meanwhile, the third judge saw the fight entirely differently, scoring every single round for the defending champion to turn in a wide 120-108 scorecard.
With the victory, Taduran improved his professional record to 21 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw, with 14 of those victories coming by way of knockout. Meanwhile, Moreno suffered the first defeat of his professional career, though his strong performance as a mandatory challenger proved that he belongs near the top of the division.
Oberlton Wins With Arm Injury
The DAZN broadcast featured high drama earlier in the evening when unbeaten light heavyweight contender Atif Oberlton was forced to overcome a serious-looking left biceps injury to defeat Deon Nicholson by a hard-fought split decision.
Oberlton suffered the arm injury early in the contest, with the muscle visibly swelling and distorting. Despite losing the full functionality of his left arm against Nicholson—a known training partner of former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder—Oberlton refused to surrender. He completely altered his fighting style mid-fight, relying almost exclusively on his right hand and sheer grit to navigate the remaining rounds.
The judges’ scorecards reflected the gritty, tactical nature of the bout. Two officials scored the contest 98-92 in favor of Oberlton, while the third judge awarded Nicholson a 96-94 scorecard. With the gutsy victory, Oberlton advanced his undefeated record to 18-0 with 14 knockouts.
"I hurt my bicep in the first round, so I had to figure out how to win with one hand," Oberlton said in his post-fight interview. "I still had to fight the rest of that fight, and I still got the victory. I think I did a hell of a job with one hand. If he wants a rematch, I’ll give him one with two arms."
Heavyweight Results
The heavyweight division saw its own share of drama as Brooklyn-based heavyweight Pryce Taylor maintained his spotless professional record with a razor-thin split decision victory over former Ukrainian Olympian Tsotne Rogava.
Taylor, who stepped into the ring weighing twelve pounds lighter than his previous outing, experienced a slow start as Rogava used his amateur pedigree and footwork to dictate the early pace. However, Taylor found his rhythm and dramatically improved his output in the middle and later rounds, landing the heavier and more impactful blows.
When the scorecards were tallied, two judges scored the bout 96-94 for Taylor, while the third dissented with a 97-93 card for Rogava. The split decision improved Taylor’s record to 14-0, including eight knockouts.
In another notable heavyweight affair, promising prospect Sardius Simmons kept his undefeated record intact by defeating Mexico’s Cesar Navarro via an eight-round unanimous decision.
The bout marked a significant milestone for Simmons, who was forced to go the full distance for the first time in his professional career. He relied on his conditioning and skill to earn scores of 78-74 and 77-75 twice, pushing his record to 11-0. Adding to the excitement of the evening, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather was watching closely from ringside and even offered Simmons tactical advice between rounds.
"Floyd told me to tighten things up and go to the body more," Simmons noted after the bout.
Albuquerque Undercard Results
The deep Albuquerque undercard delivered plenty of local flavor and explosive finishes for the live crowd.
In a welterweight rematch that took more than a decade to materialize after their initial meeting, Jose Luis Sanchez settled old scores by defeating local rival Josh Torres via a decisive unanimous decision. Sanchez swept the scorecards with commanding tallies of 98-92 and 99-91 twice.
Meanwhile, unbeaten super middleweight prospect Da’Velle Smith delivered one of the most electrifying finishes of the night, locking in a devastating left hook to the jaw that knocked out Tariq Green in the opening round. The swift victory elevated Smith’s record to 16-0 with 10 knockouts.
Canadian amateur standout Parminder Pannu enjoyed a successful transition to the professional ranks just two weeks after claiming a gold medal at the 2026 Pan American Games. Pannu pitched a shutout against Peter Balderas, taking every round on the judges’ scorecards to win by a 40-36 margin in his debut.
In the super flyweight division, Jose Nieves also preserved his undefeated status, outworking Bryan Santiago over six rounds to secure a unanimous decision victory that lifts his record to 14-0.
For Abraham Perez and the raucous fans in attendance, the evening carried a weight far deeper than a routine title defense. Two years after fighting for his very survival in a hospital bed, the Albuquerque native stands proudly undefeated, holding championship gold, and marching closer to his ultimate dream of capturing a full world title.
