Christopher Martin and Teon Kennedy need the win in tonight's main event. (Photo via ESPN Friday Night Fights on Facebook)
It's a make or break main event on tonight's edition of Friday Night Fights, live tonight at 9 p.m. EST on ESPN2 and ESPN3, as super bantamweights Teon Kennedy and Christopher Martin do battle in a 10-rounder from the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.
Kennedy (17-1-1, 7 KO) is looking to get back on track following a clear unanimous decision loss to Alejandro Lopez on August 13, which aired on Top Rank Live. Martin (23-1-2, 6 KO) is also coming off of a loss to journeyman Jose Angel Beranza on October 1 in Las Vegas.
Neither fighter, to say the least, can afford a second straight L on his record. Both Kennedy and Martin are quality young fighters, but at 25, they're not so young that ceilings may not have been reached already.
In the co-feature, 25-year-old Cuban welterweight prospect Yordenis Ugas (10-0, 5 KO) has a showcase bout against 31-year-old Texan Esteban Almaraz (10-4, 4 KO). Ugas is the latest affordable Cuban to hit the ESPN airwaves. Over/under on the times Joe Tessitore says "communist regime" is a mere 2.5, though -- he's cut way back on that in recent Cuban appearances on the show. That's an eight-round fight.
Jesse Magdaleno (7-0, 5 KO) is also in a six-rounder tonight. He may or may not be the swing fight.
Don't forget to pester Bernardo Osuna and Nigel Collins with your comments and questions during the show, and join us in the live thread, too!
0 recs | 86 comments
And we’re live.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Blame 3D for the fact that this is like watching a stream on your TV.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
jeepers, how irritating.
BoxAnne - January 13, 2012
ahhhh was wondering what was going on… have the other 3d broadcasts been like this as well?
jake_ash - January 13, 2012
no. They actually seemed better.
BoxAnne - January 13, 2012
crickets chirping…..
FrankinDallas - January 13, 2012
Every time they tell me a Cuban is fan-friendly, he winds up disappointing.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
HE’S FAIR BUT HE’S FIRM, YOU GUYS!
Brent Brookhouse - January 13, 2012
this should be the biggest fight cortez refs these days. tho wasn’t it just announced that he was gonna ref rigondaux-ramos i think?
jake_ash - January 13, 2012
yes
I’m convinced that entire fight is a rib on me personally.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
nice rt
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Balance knockdown more than a big hard shot. Good timing though.
And this hitchy video stuff is annoying.
Brent Brookhouse - January 13, 2012
Ugas vs Almaraz Round 1
Shockingly, Ugas starts this fight waiting and flicking a jab. Big right hand counter and down goes Almaraz. Boy this is gonna be a thriller. Up and another right. this camera angle is terrible. There are like 57 people watching ESPN 3D. Fuck this shit.
Left to the body, didn’t look low, Cortez believes it was. Ugas having no trouble.
Ugas 10-8
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Guys who are top army boxers never seem to have much success as pros. I wonder why that is?
schraubd - January 13, 2012
Mercer did
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Ugas vs Almaraz Round 2
Ugas fights about as much “like a Mexican” as Erislandy Lara does. Ugas cruising.
Ugas 10-9
Ugas 20-17
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Ugas really does look like a Cuban who fights like a Mexican.
If that Mexican also kinda fights like a Cuban.
Brent Brookhouse - January 13, 2012
Ugas vs Almaraz Round 3
Almaraz is fighting pretty well considering what he’s here for. Ugas still just better. This is probably about as good a round as Almaraz can have.
Ugas 10-9
Ugas 30-26
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Ugas vs Almaraz Round 4
ugh.
Ugas 10-9
Ugas 40-35
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Almaraz isn’t that bad………just a notch below
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Things could be worse. Remember last week’s FNF.
BoxAnne - January 13, 2012
I try not to
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
This is much worse than last week’s first fight, and I’m not expecting great things from the main event.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
hoping desperation will bring out the best in the two
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
the 1 minute I watched
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Ugas vs Almaraz Round 5
Ugas 10-9
Ugas 50-44
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold” the best part of FNF so far.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
This fight sucks. I can’t wait to be forced to watch more Ugas over the next few years.
Brent Brookhouse - January 13, 2012
Ugas vs Almaraz Round 6
60-53
This is useless. Fine, this fight should happen. Great. Off TV, though.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Eddie Chambers out next weekend with fractured ribs
I’m gonna put up a post about that and semi-ignore the rest of this lousy fight.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
HA! Now they’re actually fighting.
Brent Brookhouse - January 13, 2012
would we be more forgiving if it weren’t for last week’s ridiculous main event?
davecwright - January 13, 2012
Maybe………didn’t think it was that bad……..probably a decent step up fight for Ugas
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
I’d be more “forgiving” if it weren’t for having these basic, nothing Cubans shoved down my throat for the last three years just because they’re cheap to book on this show. Every time, they tell me the guy is exciting and doesn’t fight like your normal Cuban fighter. Every time, they’re full of shit and he does.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Interesting point about them being cheap. Why would they be cheaper than anyone else?
davecwright - January 13, 2012
Because they don’t have significant promoters and they have no fanbase.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
But they fight under the brand of Cuban amateur success so the boxing public is mildly interested?
davecwright - January 13, 2012
No, actually, the boxing public isn’t at all interested. The boxing public doesn’t care. People like Yuri Gamboa because he’s exciting. He could be from Neptune for all it matters with the way he fights. The rest of them are boring and nobody cares about their amateur exploits, and frankly, most of them don’t have much of an amateur background anyway.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Ugas vs Almaraz scores
79-72, 79-72, 80-71 for Ugas
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
“perhaps not as flashy as he said he would be”
Sammlung - January 13, 2012
I love when Smith and Bayless debate. Two guys who really know their stuff going at it, not over the top at all.
Sammlung - January 13, 2012
where I go for boxing expertise=skip bayless
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Stephen Smith and Skip Bayless in a room together. I’m in hell.
schraubd - January 13, 2012
stick to tebow talk
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Just puking up words.
tkeithwhite - January 13, 2012
Teddy Atlas talking down about ’em. Pretty funny.
tkeithwhite - January 13, 2012
This entire segment has driven me insane.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
it’s a shame about eddie chambers pulling out. i’m hopin the main events/nbc partnership works out. from the couple of interviews i’ve heard with her, kathy duva seems like a good promoter and i like how she was saying that she wouldn’t be putting on showcase fights.
jake_ash - January 13, 2012
Kathy Duva is a very good promoter. she’s one of the last legitimate promoters left, not just a TV packager.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Not gonna do RBR. Don’t have the patience right now, and don’t want to overanalyze. I want to enjoy this if possible, so I’ll just score.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
close rd……..thought Martin did a little more
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Martin made Kennedy miss a lot that round. Landed a good uppercut. Kennedy looks a little slow so far.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
oh and I gave it to Martin, 10-9
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
think this will be the tone of the fight……..a bunch of close, hard to score rd’s
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Kennedy 10-9, 19-19. Got some body work in that round. Big help.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
good rd for kennedy
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Is the video doing some skipping thing every 10 seconds for anyone else?
VirtualBalboa - January 13, 2012
They’ve had issues all night. It’s because this is being filmed in 33333333DDDDDD
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
yea, they’ve had tech problems
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
yes. it’s better than it was earlier though.
BoxAnne - January 13, 2012
Kennedy 29-28. Martin ends on a decent flurry though.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
pretty good rd.
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Kennedy 39-37
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
er, Martin 10-9 there
So 38-38. Forgot I gave him the first.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Martin in that one for me, seemed like. Uppercuts.
BoxAnne - January 13, 2012
thinking 2-2
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Nobody’s going anywhere from this fight. Mediocrity vs mediocrity
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
I thought Martin had some talent, but it looks like he had no upside….
Sammlung - January 13, 2012
He’s perfectly decent for this level of fight. But yeah, it’s a lack of upside. This is as good as he’s getting and he’s not world class.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
48-47 Martin
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Teon Kennedy has no style.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Martin 58-56
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
I’ve got it 87-84 Martin into the final round. I see this fight is as compelling to everyone else as it is to me.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
Wait, that should be 86-85.
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
good ending
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Think Kennedy has this by a couple of rds…….
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
yeah, maybe, based on activity as much as anything else
jake_ash - January 13, 2012
also, i picked martin in the pickem game. based on my luck thus far, it’s kennedy in a landslide
jake_ash - January 13, 2012
96-94 type
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Well I had it 95-95
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
there we go………..MD
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Love the echo on God-Teddy tbere
schraubd - January 13, 2012
Kennedy vs Martin Scores
97-93 Kennedy
95-95
95-95
Majority draw
Scott Christ - January 13, 2012
please no rematch
DPlainview - January 13, 2012
Bleh who cares, I found reading my textbook more interesting than these fights most of the time. Hope the next one is better.
ScottCL - January 13, 2012
Jesse Magdaleno is usually fun to watch.
BoxAnne - January 13, 2012
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