Lamont Roach can’t seem to get his point across. Or at least get enough points from judges.
After a controversial majority decision draw versus Gervonta “Tank” Davis at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in March in their WBA lightweight championship fight when Davis took a knee in the ninth round but referee Steve Mills did not rule it a knockdown, which would have given Roach a 10-8 round, he fought another questionable majority decision draw versus Isaac “Pit Bull” Cruz on Saturday at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The scorecards read 113-113, 115-111, 113-113 at the end of the 12-round interim WBC super lightweight championship bout. Cruz dropped Roach in the third round with a left hook and looked like he was possibly headed to a knockout victory, but Roach remained determined. A point deduction from Cruz for low blows in round seven nearly gave Roach a path to victory.
“I knew he would stand his ground and go toe-to-toe, but I know how to box too,” said Cruz (28-3-2, 18 KOs), who retained his title. “People don’t realize I can box.”
“Hats off to ‘Pitbull,’” said Roach (25-1-3, 10 KOs), who had a 114-114, 113-115, 114-114 draw against Davis. Cruz lost to Davis by unanimous decision in a close fight in December 2021. “He’s a great champion himself,” Roach said of Cruz. “I gave the fans a great fight. Back to the drawing board.”
Roach’s reference to the drawing board foreshadows a 2026 rematch between the two.
“Absolutely, I’d do a rematch,” said Cruz, who complained about the judges and the referee in a fight he thought he won. Conversely, Roach had an opposing view.
“I think I should have won a close victory,” he said. “I clearly thought I won a close fight.”
In the co-main event, WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster dominated an unfocused Stephen Fulton Jr. in a 119-109, 118-110, and 117-111 unanimous decision to win the Interim WBC lightweight strap.
“The game plan was to stay smart, stay sharp, and get him out of there in the later rounds,” said Foster. “But he’s a damn good fighter and a veteran, and he knew how to survive.” Fulton (23-2-0, 8 KOs) was two pounds over the 130-pound weight limit.
At UFC 323 in Las Vegas on Saturday, Petr Yan became a two-time UFC bantamweight champion with a 49-46, 48-47, 49-46 unanimous victory over Merab Dvalishvili, who attempted to make history with a fourth title defense in a calendar year. In the co-main event, Joshua Van won the UFC flyweight title when Alexandre Pantoja suffered a severe arm injury just 26 seconds into the clash.
Looking ahead, January is shaping up to be a good month in combat sports. UFC 324 will see Justin Gaethje battle Paddy Pimblett for the interim UFC lightweight title. In the co-main event, arguably the greatest of all time, Amanda Nunes, returns to challenge Kayla Harrison in her first defense of the UFC women’s bantamweight strap.