On Saturday night, 35-year-old Spanish former IBF super bantamweight world champion Kiko Martinez shocked the boxing world when he knocked out the betting favorite Kid Galahad in his hometown of Sheffield, England in the sixth round to capture the IBF featherweight title.
Galahad who was the reigning IBF 126-pound champion had no clue he was in for a shock Saturday night suffering his second professional loss and first knockout loss of his boxing career.
Overconfidence could have been a factor leading up to the fight. When matchmakers pit fighters with past their prime or undersized boxers, the favorite sometimes lets it get to their head that they have a cake walk opponent and think they can walk through the veteran, but sometimes the old dog still has fight left in him as evidenced by Kiko Martinez on Saturday night.
According to former world champion Sergio Martinez, Kiko Martinez, is the greatest Spanish fighter ever.
Martinez started of face and kept up with the pace of the younger Galahad. Early in the fight they both mixed it up and the rounds were competitive.
Galahad tried to circle and keep the shorter Martinez at bay with his jab and reach, but Kiko wasn’t going to stay on the outside much longer and found his way in to land clean shots and pressure the British fighter.
In round 5, Kiko caught Galahad with a leaping right hook on the chin that sent him down at the end of the round. Galahad beat the count as the round ended and went back to his stool dizzy.
At the start of round 6, Kiko threw the same exact leaping right hook with all his bodyweight behind it landed it flush on Galahad’s chin and sent him out cold on his back and the ref waved it off.
Martinez celebrated the upset victory with emotion as he proudly carried the IBF title to becoming a two-division world champion at the age of 35.
Kid Galahad vs. Kiko Martínez Fight Replay Highlights
YouTube video upload by DAZN Boxing
