Weljon Mindoro’s unbeaten run is over. The Filipino middleweight suffered the first loss of his professional career after Mexican veteran Carlos Ocampo stopped him in the ninth round in Los Angeles on Sunday.
How the fight ended
The 29-year-old Mindoro was dropped by a crushing right hand to the jaw in the ninth round of their 10-round catchweight bout at the USC Galen Center. He managed to get back to his feet, but his corner threw in the towel and referee Ray Corona waved off the fight.
Mindoro, who came in at 163.6 pounds, had been winning most of the early exchanges. He opened a cut above Ocampo’s right eye in the third round and rocked the Mexican with an uppercut in the seventh. But Ocampo, 30, slowly turned the tide and finished strongly.
The stakes coming in
Mindoro entered the fight with a fearsome 17-0 record, including 16 knockouts, and a bronze medal from last year’s Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok. His previous fight against Elias Espadas was the first time he had ever gone the distance.
Ocampo, meanwhile, is a seasoned test who has shared the ring with former world champions Errol Spence, Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tszyu. He improved to 39-4-0 with the win, and came in overweight at 165 pounds, drawing a $2,000 fine.
What it means for Mindoro
The loss drops Mindoro to 17-1 and puts a dent in the Philippine boxing team member’s march toward a world title shot. A first defeat this early is recoverable, but it resets the timeline on his biggest fights.
The result lands in a busy stretch for Filipino fighters, following this weekend’s heavyweight stunner from Filip Hrgovic and the continued spotlight on boxers of Filipino heritage like Teofimo Lopez.
Fight facts at a glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Result | Carlos Ocampo def. Weljon Mindoro, 9th-round TKO |
| Venue | USC Galen Center, Los Angeles |
| Division | Middleweight, 10-round catchweight |
| Mindoro record | 17-1 (16 KOs) |
| Ocampo record | 39-4-0 (27 KOs) |
| Weights | Mindoro 163.6 lbs; Ocampo 165 lbs (over) |
