Diego Pacheco gets off the floor to defeat Kevin Lele Sadjo in Stockton battle of Top-10 contenders

Diego Pacheco survives a knockdown to beat Kevin Lele Sadjo by unanimous decision (117-110, 116-111, 115-112) in their battle of Top 10 super middleweights. Pacheco captures the WBC Silver and retains his WBO international title.

Pacheco finally got the breakthrough he needed at the end of the penultimate round. Can he build on the success in the final frame?

A pair of lefts from Pacheco, followed by an uppercut. Right hand lands. Pacheco is now the one who is pushing Sadjo back. Left uppercut breaks the guard. Body shot fired from the American. Sadjo is caught by a HARD right — and another. Big round for Pacheco this is turning into. Combination from Pacheco to open the final minute. Uppercut landed by Pacheco. They are trading power punches to end this one. It was a hard watch, minus the last two rounds.

10-9 Pacheco, 116-111 Pacheco

Very little of significance gets through in the first minute. A lot of it was fought on the inside, which is Sadjo’s fight. Pacheco walks Sadjo onto a left hook. Right hand around the guard goes Pacheco. Brilliant left uppercut on the inside for Pacheco. Sadjo responds with a right hand. Pacheco comes right back with power shot and now he flurries. Sadjo is HURT! Much needed breakthrough for Pacheco.

10-9 Pacheco, 106-102 Pacheco

9 minutes to decide this one. Pacheco is almost certainly well ahead on the scorecards.

Exchange between Sadji and Pachecho to begin this one. A left hook from Sadjo seemed to find an opening. Right hand, followed by an uppercut on the inside for Pacheco. Right hand over the top lands for Sadjo on the inside. Pacheco’s defense continues to let him down. Hook for Pacheco, Sadjo fires back. They will trade on the inside in the final minute. Flurry of shots from Pacheco to end the tenth.

10-9 Sadjo, 96-93 Pacheco

A pair of hooks from Pacheco at the one-minute mark, followed by a body shot. Good work on the inside from Pacheco now. Sadjo connects with a right hand in an exchange. Very frustrating fight. Far too much holding on the inside. Pacheco needs to fight with Sadjo and trust his chin. To the body goes Pacheco.

10-9 Pacheco, 87-83 Pacheco

DOWN GOES PACHECO! Wow. Sadjo landed a huge left hook. Still two minutes to go in Round 8. Pacheco has looked far from impressive tonight. Uppercut on the inside for Pacheco, but a power shot from Sadjo lands as well. Right hand chopping down from Pacheco in the final 15 seconds. HUGE left hook from Pacheco and Sadjo’s legs look wobbly to end the eighth.

10-8 Sadjo, 77-74 Pacheco

Into the second half of this fight. Pacheco with some nice combinations to open the seventh. He has outlanded Sadjo 41-39 in power punches. Body shot counter from Pacheco finds a home. This is turning into a wrestling match with a ton of clinching in Round 7. The boos are pouring in. Sadjo hammers to the mid-section. Nice left hook downstairs for Pacheco. Pacheco just cannot keep Sadjo off him. Sadjo can close the gap and work on the inside at will. Body shots from Pacheco are having success, though.

10-9 Pacheco, 69-64 Pacheco

Jabs from Pacheco early in Round 6. Body shots from Pacheco to begin the frame as Sadjo tries to work his way onto the inside. Pacheco attempts to walk Sadjo onto uppercuts with both hands around the halfway point. Nice body shot from Pacheco. Sadjo responds upstairs. Body shot lands for Sadjo up close. Pacheco is cut on the bridge of the nose. Right hook sweeps onto Sadjo’s chin.

10-9 Pacheco, 59-55

The fourth was another round for Pacheco. Sadjo is desperately trying to pressure him, but Pacheco is holding, and then they end up in a wrestling match on the inside. It will be frustrating for Sadjo and fans, who are booing.

Pacheco throws a combination onto Sadjo’s guard as the Frenchman walks forward. Overhand right from Sadjo partially connects. Uppercut breaks the guard for Pacheco. Another right hand over the top lands for Sadjo. Best work of the fight for Sadjo in this second minute. Uppercut counter finds a home for Pacheco again. Combo downstairs from Pacheco. Sadjo again has success with a right hand — Pacheco needs to defend better against that shot.

10-9 Sadjo, 49-46 Pacheco

Pacheco is doing a good job of turning Sadjo on the inside. Nice flurry of shots connects on Sadjo’s guard. Left hook connects for Sadjo. Pacheco chops down with rights. Left hook goes Pacheco. Pacheco is boxing disciplined behind his jab and connecting frequently downstairs. It’s not the most exciting performance but it’s safe.

10-9 Pacheco, 30-27 Pacheco

The first round was a preview of how Pacheco can win this fight comfortably — jab and hold, and working in power shot counters.

Sadjo does the same thing he did in the first and will do every round — walk forward with a tight guard and pressure. Nice uppercut from Pacheco. Pacheco is jabbing well. Left hook from Sadjo just falls short. Pacheco is ruining Sadjo’s momentum with the jab. Left downstairs from Pacheco to end the second frame. Smart work from Pacheco.

10-9 Pacheco, 20-18 Pacheco

Here we go for the main event! It’s the toughest test of Diego Pacheco’s career to date against a tough, hard-hitting Frenchman, Sadjo.

Pacheco has gone the distance twice in a row and is looking for a KO under new coach Omar Villanueva.

Jabs from Pacheco to open this one. Sadjo walks forward, attempting to close the gap and pressure Sadjo. Pacheco holds both times they come close in the first half of the round. Pacheco hits Sadjo’s guard with power shots as Sadjo tries to close the distance. Nice right connects at mid-range. Big power shots from Sadjo miss. Left hook to the body for Pacheco.

10-9 Pacheco

Top-10 super middleweights Diego Pacheco and Kevin Lele Sadjo clash in a battle of unbeaten contenders.

Pacheco (24-0, 18 KOs) fights for the third time in 2025. The American recorded decision wins over Steven Nelson in January and Trevor McCumby in July. After the McCumby win, Pacheco split with trainer Jose Benavidez Sr. — the father of WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez — with Omar Villanueva taking over as head coach as Pacheco searches for a world title shot in 2026.

Sadjo (26-0, 23 KOs) stopped Jack Cullen in December 2021 to capture the European championship. The Frenchman is rated in the top 15 of three governing bodies and has already competed twice in 2025, halting Habib Ahmed this past May and Martin Ezequiel Bulacio in August.

Joe Cordina beats Gabriel Flores Jr. by unanimous decision (117-110, 115-112, 114-113) in Stockton, California.

One stanza left, and Flores will need a KO — or very favorable home judging.

Hard right hand from Cordina. Flores is hurt again to the body. Cordina shatters rights onto Flores’ face. Flores is just in survival mode now as more body shots hammer in. This is a beatdown now. Back to the body for Cordina in the final 40 seconds. Flores will survive but it will surely be another defeat to his record.

10-9 Cordina, 116-111 Cordina

Six minutes to decide this one.

Cordina flurries onto Flores to open the penultimate frame. Cordina is beating the will to fight out of Flores. Cordina is connecting with stiff jabs in the first minute of this round. Cordina is forcing Flores around the ring and initiating nonstop pressure on Flores. Cordina fires downstairs when they are on the inside. Nice combination from Cordina at the two-minute mark. Flores holds on. HARD right from Cordina ROCKS Flores. More right hands connecting for Flores. Flores is in a bad way. Cordina is on the verge of a stoppage.

10-9 Cordina, 106-102 Cordina

Cordina has outlanded Flores 71-52 through 9 rounds.

Flores looked fatigued in the tenth round, and it was in this round that the body shots had a real impact on him. A left hook at the two-minute mark clearly hurt him. Cordina’s pressure is becoming really difficult for Flores to deal with as we head into the championship rounds. Great round for Cordina.

10-9 Cordina, 96-93 Cordina

DAZN’s Chris Mannix has Joe Cordina 77-74 up.

Hard one-two chops down on Flores’ chin. Cordina’s pressure is relentless, but he is allowing Flores to land with jabs and sharp hook counters. Pair of body shots for Cordina on the inside. Right-hand, left hook combo for Cordina. They exchanged at mid-range as left hooks went in from both, but Cordina got the better of the action. Body shot from Cordina. Combination counter goes Flores to end the ninth.

10-9 Cordina, 86-84 Cordina

Right hand finds a home for Cordina early in the eighth. Another right hand fires down on Flores around the halfway point. Flores walks Cordina onto a check hook. Cordina continues to flurry at Flores’ guard as Flores was backed up on the ring ropes. Cordina has Flores a little off balance and uncomfortable as right hands on the inside land. HARD body shot hurts Flores. Back comes Flores with a hook.

10-9 Cordina, 76-75 Cordina