Featherweight prospect Mark Magsayo definitely got a stern test tonight, as Mexico’s Julio Ceja went back-and-forth with him before a vicious 10th round knockout finish kept Magsayo unbeaten.
Magsayo (23-0, 16 KO) flashed his speed and power very early in the fight, dropping Ceja (32-5-1, 28 KO) within the first 30 seconds of action, and it looked then like it might be a short night of work.
But the 28-year-old Ceja survived a rush from Magsayo attempting to finish, got out of the first round, and started doing very good work, especially to the body. In the fifth round, it was Magsayo who found himself on the canvas and having to buckle in and rally.
From the fifth until the end, the two fought pretty tight, as the war of attrition started setting in. Magsayo showed a lot of grit, as did Ceja, but Ceja has proven his heart before, and the Filipino still had some questions there.
Then in the 10th, Magsayo landed a pair of rocket right hands that put Ceja down and completely out, and the 26-year-old secured the victory 50 seconds into that round, with what will be a Knockout of the Year contender for 2021.
This was a WBC eliminator at 126 lbs, so Magsayo is ostensibly the top contender now for Gary Russell Jr, who also has an ordered fight with former 122 lb titlist Rey Vargas to deal with, or maybe not, you never really know with things that involve Russell.