Yunier Dorticos catches up with Andrew Tabiti with a right hand after an ugly fight!
After ten ugly rounds, Yuniel Dorticos (24-1, 22 KO’s) viciously knocked out the previously undefeated Andrew “The Beast” Tabiti (17-1, 13 KO’s).
With the victory, Dorticos collected the vacant IBF cruiserweight title and will advance to the finals of the World Boxing Super Series tournament.
From the very start, Dorticos stalked and roughed-up his opponent when in close. As is his temperament, Tabiti circled the ring and sporadically threw punches in bunches.
When he let his hands go, the American looked impressive, the blows just came to few and far in between to sway the judges to give him rounds.
It was also apparent from the very beginning that Tabiti was extremely uncomfortable fighting on the inside. Whenever they got close the Beast would reflexively hold.
The holding got so bad that referee Eddie Claudio would end up deducting a point in the sixth round. However, referee Claudio was WAY too much a part of the bout.
Out of the ten rounds fought, the ref either flat-out stopped the action, or impeded it in at least five of them.
Although seemingly in control of the fight, Dorticos had to show his own measure of grit when he suffered a nasty cut over the eye.
The gash was caused by an accidental head-butt, also in the sixth round. Other than the unfortunate bleeding, heading in the second half of the prizefight the situation appeared grim for Team Tabiti.
Not only did he appear to need a knockout, he had established zero rhythm in the match.
Possibly being behind on the cards became completely immaterial when Dorticos landed a crisp, fighting ending straight-right on the tip of Tabiti’s chin.
The Beast went down hard and limp. Claudio would call the fight before reaching the count of ten. Congrats to Team Dorticos on the thrilling conclusion.
By: Bakari Simpson
