Angel Acosta stopped Carlos Buitrago in the 12th round and retained light flyweight title at the Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot on Saturday night.
Acosta, (18-1, 18 KOs) was getting the better of every exchange as Buitrago was tentative with his offense. It was a shootout on my scorecards in favor of Acosta. He was the aggressor from the get-go and kept Buitrago pinned towards the ropes throughout the night.
It was one of those fights that both fighters were able to handle each other’s power. The tendency is that the fight will eventually drag to the later rounds and usually ends up with a decision. In the Acosta-Buitrago fight, it was the accumulation of punches that actually wore down Buitrago.
Buitrago, (30-4-1, 17 KOs) fight mostly on the defensive backing up to the ropes and fought from there which limits his mobility to evade the Acosta’s offense. His jab was good but he was not able to follow it through with combinations. At times he did, but can’t find its target.
Acosta’s lead jab to the body really taking a toll on Buitrago in the later rounds. Acosta was tagging the breadbasket of Buitrago with those jabs to the body.
At the 1:22 mark of the final round, Acosta scored a knockdown as the ropes made Buitrago still on his feet after a series of punches. Buitrago looks okay as referee Luis Pabon yelled the mandatory count. Pabon let the fight continue. Acosta sensing blood finished Buitrago with heavy blows to the head prompting Pabon to stepped in and stopped the fight. Buitrago looks defiant but the referee had seen enough. It was the right call. In my estimate even if the fight continued, Buitrago still loss from the scorecards.
With the win, Acosta continued his knockout winning streak to 18 stoppages. His record improved to 18 wins, one loss. His lone defeat was with Kosei Tanaka of Japan when he lost a decision.
