By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo just had a rousing debut in the super featherweight division after knocking out Isaac Avelar of Mexico last December 10, 2023, held in Long Beach, California.
After an inconsistent campaign in the featherweight division, Magsayo and his camp announced that he is moving to the 130-pound division with the goal of becoming a two-division world champion.
Their plan to greatness is then off to a good start after the Filipino superstar knocked out his Mexican foe at the 1:44 mark of the third round.
Magsayo quickly dictated the pace in the third round after scoring a huge knockdown at the 2:42 mark when he rushed towards Avelar while throwing a four-punch combination that connected to the Mexican’s jaw.
Avelar was able to beat the eight counts made by the referee and continued to go toe-to-toe against Magsayo but his worst nightmare came in the 1:50 mark of the third.
As Magsayo sized him up at the ropes, the Filipino power-puncher timed a devastating sweeping left hook that put Avelar to sleep.
Seeing that the Mexican went unconscious after that single punch, the match referee was quick to waive off the fight and rewarded the win to Magsayo.
It was a fluid start for Magsayo in the opening round after pulling off a calculated aggression style of fighting where he applied pressure while also picking the right punches to land on Avelar.
Avelar also had some moments in the fight after connecting on several huge straight punches but Magsayo always had the answers to regain his points.
“I work hard everyday in the gym and I want to prove that I belong in the junior lightweight division. I feel more comfortable and stronger at this weight. You saw how I sat down on the punch with the knockout,” said Magsayo after the fight.
