Entering the bout, Lee had stopped his previous 15 straight opponents, demonstrating the concussive power that has made him one of the most talked about young fighters in the sport.
The 22-year-old Lee never landed a fight-ending bomb against Ochoa, but he did push the action and land the more telling punches against an opponent who moved backward for most of the bout and was determined not to get knocked out.
Lee, who was Ring Magazine’s Prospect of the Year in 2021, went 10 rounds for the first time in his career, winning by scores of 99-91, 99-91 and 98-92, and going the distance for the first time since 2018 in a performance that Lee will surely learn from moving forward.
“I think that only two rounds were close, the seventh and maybe the ninth,” Lee said. “It was exactly what I expected. Perhaps I could have performed better, my combinations been a bit sharper, but it was a good fight overall. Fighting at AT&T Stadium was a blessing. Wow, what an experience. It motivates me even more to come back here and be a headliner one day. I want to be a world champion at 140, unify titles, become undisputed and then become a world champ at 147.”
Lee of La Quinta, Calif., landed 31% of his power punches and 18% of his total punches, according to CompuBox. Lee pinned Ochoa (21-3, 7 KOs) against the ropes in the third and rained down rights and lefts as Ochoa did his best to avoid any fight-ending blows. Ochoa landed a nice left-right combination in the fourth, but Lee closed the round well, landing uppercuts and rights to push Ochoa back.
Lee bloodied Ochoa’s nose in the fifth with a right uppercut as Ochoa continued to move backwards but the action was sparce after that. Lee showed his frustration as the seventh closed, looking at Ochoa with annoyance as he walked back to the corner.
At the urging of his trainer, Brooklyn’s Ochoa stopped moving and started to trade shots on the inside with Lee in the ninth. Lee capitalized, landing a series of nice uppercuts and an overhand right, showcasing impressive hand speed. Ochoa’s face showed the results with swelling under his left eye. Ochoa’s finest moment came in the tenth when he landed a clean overhand right, but Lee took it well and fired back with his own shots.
“Brandun Lee is a really good fighter, a strong fighter,” Ochoa said. “I feel I was doing really well. He caught me a little bit, but I kept my confidence, my poise and when it was time to step it up the last three rounds, I started putting the pressure on him and we went at it. I went all out. He’s never had it like that. I only got hurt one time, maybe at the end of the seventh. I know I buzzed him too.”
#BrandunLee #LeeOchoa #SpenceUgas
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