The former world champion is primed for another strap, this time at lightweight, as he delivers a sensational performance in the main event on FS1 PBC Fight Night.
Javier Fortuna didn’t need much time. The grin creased his face about 80 seconds into his lightweight fight with the lanky Antonio Lozada on Saturday night from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, headlining the FS1 PBC Fight Night card.
Fortuna’s Grinch-stole-Christmas expression connoted a simple thought: This fight is over. Seconds later, Fortuna plowed a straight left off of Lozada’s face, providing the portends of what resulted in a sixth-round stoppage victory at 2:34 for the 31-year-old Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs).
The former junior lightweight titlist proved that he’s a viable problem for anyone at 135 pounds.
It marked Fortuna’s third-straight victory since his loss to Robert Easter Jr. in January 2018 for the IBF lightweight title, which Fortuna came in overweight for.
Fortuna was off for a year and 20 days—and it didn’t look like it.
It was pretty evident at the outset that Fortuna, a southpaw, was giving away considerable height. The 6-foot Lozada towered over the 5-foot-6½ Fortuna, though it didn’t matter.
Fortuna came out attacking. Lozada did not use his 5-inch reach advantage. Fortuna used his right more so as a lead right hook, clipping Lozada, which seemed to be the door opener.
Within the first 50 seconds of the fight, Fortuna had found the key to getting inside. The shorter fighter from the Dominican Republic had Lozada backing up against the ropes, when the hammer hit—a straight left to the face. That stunned Lozada.
About 30 seconds later, Fortuna unfurled a bashing left off the side of Lozada’s head, sending him down in the corner. Referee Gerard White raced over to see if Lozada was able to continue.
In the final minute of the first, Fortuna was on Lozada again, when White called timeout with :20 left. Somehow, Fortuna suffered a cut over his right eye, which White ruled came from an accidental head butt—not a punch.
In the second, Fortuna was again the aggressor. Winging wide lead rights, Fortuna landed the heavier shots. With 1:10 left in the second, the colorful Fortuna let his taller foe know what he was thinking without saying anything, when he shrugged and smirked again, eliciting “Is that all you have?”
Fortuna was in and out. He changed his levels. It didn’t help that Lozada was stagnant for long periods of time.
The fighters clashed heads in the fourth, though that didn’t deter Fortuna. He kept Lozada backing up, throwing right hooks, landing head shots, dropping for body shots. Lozada did not how or where to protect himself.
White again warned the fighters about using their heads at the outset of the fifth, another dominant Fortuna round, leading to the end.
In the sixth, Fortuna, feeling extremely confident, started yelping “whoa, whoa,” each time he threw a punch. White warned him to stop it. With 1:09 left in the sixth, Fortuna smacked Lozada with a left on the chin. About 10 seconds later, he landed a right hook, causing a sweat halo over Lozada’s head, as White looked in intently.
After a straight left, White saw enough and stepped in to wisely end it at 2:34 of the sixth.
Austin Dulay outpoints Jose Luis Gallegos
Austin Dulay returned to the win column when the 25-year old lightweight prospect scored a unanimous 10-round victory over Jose Luis Gallegos.
Dulay (14-2, 10 KOs) was coming off a 10-round loss to Diego Magdaleno in February. Gallegos (19-10, 14 KOs) lost for the second-straight time.
Gallegos was a late replacement for undefeated 25-year-old Starling Castillo, and he had his moments, however brief. In the third, Gallegos connected with w straight right that jolted Dulay’s head back. But Gallegos couldn’t follow up.
Dulay kept landing left uppercuts that Gallegos did not seem to have an answer for.
Fernando Molina
Fernando Molina decisions Jose Zaragoza in impressive US debut
Fernando Molina, an 18-year-old lightweight, made his United States debut by beating rugged 32-year-old Jose Zaragoza with a unanimous six-round decision.
It’s the first time Molina (3-0, 2 KOs) went beyond three rounds. The setback snapped the three-fight winning streak for Zaragoza (5-4-1, 2 KOs).
For a closer look at Fortuna vs Lozada, check out our fight night page.
