Emanuel Navarrete, Robson Conceicao fight to majority draw،
LAS VEGAS – Emanuel Navarrete beat Robson Conceicao twice but settled for a majority draw in his defense of the WBO junior lightweight title Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.
Navarrete (38-1, 31 KO) dropped Conceicao in round 4 and again in round 7. He was close to stopping the challenger in the penultimate round as the referee closed in on the action, but Conceicao never wavered.
Conceicao, a Brazilian Olympic gold medalist, won the final round on all three scorecards to avoid defeat in his third challenge and likely earn a rematch.
One judge scored the 130-pound title fight 114-112 for Navarrete, but it was overturned by two points 113-113.
“I’m happy to walk away with the belt,” Navarrete, ESPN’s No. 1 boxer at 130 pounds, said through an interpreter. “We both did what we said we were going to do. … He’s a tremendous fighter. His technique is next level, and that’s what makes it so difficult.
“If it was up to me, I would definitely give Robson a rematch because he really deserves it.”
Navarrete (38-1-1, 31 KO) dropped Conceicao in the fourth with a right hand to the temple, then knocked him down three rounds later with a right hand to the body.
Conceicao (17-2-1, 8 KOs) was happy to stay in the pocket, however, regardless of the power disparity. He jabbed, moved and connected on combinations while Navarrete invaded him with his patented awkward angles.
With both eyes swollen, Conceicao saved his best for the final round as he took the fight to the champion.
“I think we both deserve a rematch,” Conceicao, ESPN’s junior lightweight No. 7, said through an interpreter. “I proved what I’m capable of. I give a lot of credit to ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete. He’s a strong fighter, but I know what I did tonight. I deserved the victory.”
Without these two knockdowns, Conceicao, 35, would have deserved the victory. But instead, he probably earned a rematch with a career-best performance.
His first two title chances weren’t on an equal footing. When he challenged Oscar Valdez in 2021, he did so weeks after Valdez tested positive for a banned substance but was cleared to compete. Conceicao settled for a controversial decision loss.
A year later, Conceicao challenged Shakur Stevenson for the title, but Stevenson exceeded the 130-pound limit and was victorious.
Navarrete, meanwhile, was coming off a victory against Valdez in August in his first title defense. The 28-year-old also won titles in the 122 and 126 pound classes.
