Alexis Rocha Overwhelms And TKO’s Blair Cobbs In Nine Rounds

Alexis Rocha Silences the Smack-Talking Blair Cobbs

Animosity served as the subtext for this ten-round all-southpaw battle between Alexis Rocha (19-1, 13 KOs) and Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-1-1, 10 KOs) at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California. Initially, this bout was supposed to be on the undercard of Vergil Ortiz v Michael McKinson. But with Ortiz forced to pull out after falling ill, Rocha v Cobbs was bumped to the main event.

What was clear is that these warriors do not like each other. Cobbs is a polarizing figure who talks as much trash as anyone in the sport. He was telling anyone within shouting range that he would knock Rocha out. Hungry for a main event shot, the 32-year-old left from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was fully intent on backing up his big talk.

However, he was facing the best opponent of his career in Rocha. Riding a three-fight winning streak since an October 2020 decision loss to Rashidi Ellis, the 24-year-old from Irvine, California was determined to make the trash-talking Cobbs eat his words.

EXCITING FROM JUMP

Both men got off to a good start in this one. Cobbs used the jab to establish the distance, making sure to move left and right to create angles. He was effective at baiting Rocha in, then making him with pay combinations to the head.

But you could see Rocha starting to zone in with his southpaw left. He began to cut off the ring and worked the body when on the inside. Midway through round five, Cobbs was wobbled by a Rocha left square on the chin. Rocha went on the attack for the rest of the round, punishing the Philly fighter.

HERE COMES THE ONSLAUGHT

After using the sixth round to move around and clear his head, Cobbs landed with solid counter left hands in the seventh. But midway into the eighth, a right hook along the ropes put him down for the second time. At the end of that round, Cobbs was on unsteady legs. Early in the ninth, another right hook stunned Cobbs once again. Sensing the end, Rocha went on an all-out assault until the referee Rudy Barragan stepped in and waved a halt to the fight forty-four seconds into round nine.

This was a statement and a satisfying win for Rocha. It was an excellent performance as he walked down and ultimately finished Cobbs. Afterward, he called for a fight against either Michael McKinson or Conor Benn.

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By: Michael Wilson Jr.

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