Mark Magsayo could not find the adjustments he needed as Andres Cortes neutralized his strengths and handed the Filipino a unanimous decision defeat Sunday, September 13 (Philippine time).
The Mexican-American won 97-93 on all three scorecards in their 10-round lightweight bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, snapping Magsayo's five-fight winning streak and dropping the former world champion to 29-3 with 19 knockouts.
The setback came in Magsayo's second appearance under the Zuffa Boxing banner on the undercard of the Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn welterweight title clash.
Magsayo and trainer Marvin Somodio were familiar with Cortes' amateur pedigree and technical ability. What surprised them was the manner in which the 29-year-old chose to use those attributes.
Rather than boxing from the outside, Cortes immediately closed the distance and crowded his opponent. That denied the Tagbilaran City, Bohol native the room to maximize his explosiveness and quick hands.
The strategy worked from the opening bell.
Expecting to establish his offense early, Magsayo instead found himself pinned in the pocket as the undefeated pugilist connected with compact, effective punches. An attempt to settle into a rhythm through body work in the second round produced little relief, with the exchanges continuing at close quarters.
By the third, Magsayo was struggling to disrupt the pace. He repeatedly took a knee, drawing warnings from the referee.
The middle rounds offered little respite. Cortes repeatedly landed his right hand from awkward angles while denying Magsayo the space necessary to generate his preferred combinations.
By the halfway point, a clear solution had yet to emerge.
During the seventh round, ringside reporter Heidi Androl revealed that Somodio had acknowledged being surprised by Cortes' tactics.
There was some improvement late. A cut appeared to bother Cortes, giving Magsayo more opportunities to connect during the final three rounds. His punches landed with greater frequency, and the exchanges became more competitive.
The rally, however, came too late, with Cortes walking away with the unanimous decision victory to remain unbeaten at 26-0, 13 KOs.
The defeat ends a five-fight run that had helped Magsayo rebuild after back-to-back setbacks against Rey Vargas and Brandon Figueroa. At 31, he now enters another phase of his career where adjustments will be crucial, particularly against opponents capable of taking away his preferred range.
"Magnifico" leaves Las Vegas without the momentum he carried into the bout, but with a clearer picture of what needs to be addressed before his next opportunity as part of the Zuffa Boxing roster.
