Rafael Espinoza Storms Past Sergio Chirino, Earns 4th Round Knockout To Retain WBO Featherweight Title

The clock has not yet struck midnight on Rafael Espinoza’s fairy tale run.

A successful first WBO featherweight defense was lodged by the unbeaten Guadalajara native, who stopped Sergio Chirino in the fourth round. Espinoza dropped Chirino three times and closed the show at 2:45 of round four Friday on ESPN+ from BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

“The difference is my desire and my hunger to be the best,” Espinoza told ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna. “It shows when I am in the ring.”

Chirino entered the fight in hopes to become the first major titlist from the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The aim was to mirror the Cinderella success story of his countryman. Espinoza (25-0, 21 knockouts), No. 6 at 126 by The Ring, upset Robeisy Ramirez (13-2, 8 KOs) in a Fight of the Year contender last Dec. 9 in Miami.

The opening round saw early success from Chirino, though Espinoza was always in position to make his night a difficult one. Chirino was made to pay for a single miss on an overhand right. Espinoza—at 6’1”, the tallest featherweight titlist ever—countered with a compact left uppercut to produce the bout’s first knockdown.

Momentum remained in favor of the defending titlist for the duration of the bout. Chirino was able to land right hands upstairs but those moments were buried by Espinoza’s frightening accuracy from long and short range.

Espinoza went back to the uppercut to send Chirino back to the canvas late in the third. A brutal round saw Chirino absorb an alarming number of power shots upstairs. He managed to slip a combination, but Espinoza responded with a right uppercut and left hook to the body. Chirino fell to the canvas but was able to beat the count and make it out of the round.

That same luxury was not afforded one round later.

Chirino (22-2, 13 KOs) quickly ran out of ring space but went down swinging in the fourth. It proved to be his undoing as Espinoza beat the fight out of him. A pair of left hands forced Chirino to turn and take a knee for the bout’s third and final knockdown. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. began his count before he opted to wave off the contest.

The setback ended Chirino’s 12-fight win streak as he fell well short in his first career title fight. He landed just 34-of-153 punches (22.2%) on the night

Meanwhile, Espinoza’s career continues to soar.

The jury was out even after his thriller with Ramirez last year. He survived a knockdown to score one of his own in their memorable thriller. He was far more dominant on Friday and prepared to take on all comers down the road.

“It is time to unify this division,” insisted Espinoza, who landed 101-of-283 punches (35.7%) in just four rounds. “There is a man out there who wants the rematch—Robeisy Ramirez. I am going to take a little bit of rest and then talk to my team to determine what’s best for our career.”

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