Ernesto Mercado put on a blistering demonstration of speed and power, knocking out Antonio Moran in the sixth round in a light welterweight fight on Saturday night.
The unbeaten Mercado caught Moran with a hard-looking right hook to the head late in round one, causing him to stumble to the canvas. In the 15 seconds, Mercado stayed patient, landing surgeon-like rights and lefts.
In rounds four and five, the 24-year-old Mercado focused on throwing to the body and hitting Moran with his powerful check left hook. The Mexican native Moran showed toughness to take the shots from Mercado, as he was getting hit hard frequently. His right cheek was bruised and swollen.
Mercado turned up the heat in the sixth, landing a left hook to the head of Antonio that hurt him, causing him to retreat. Mercado went after him, nailing him with a left hook to put him down. Looking hurt, Moran got back to his feet and given a once over by the referee before the fight resumed.
Mercado then pounced on him, landing a four-punch combination thrown at warp speed to drop Moran. The finishing punch was a right hand. Referee Michael Margado then halted the contest. It was officially stopped at 2:37 of round six.
With the win, Mercado is now 18-0 with 17 knockouts. Moran’s record drops to 31-8-1, 21 knockouts. The fight took place at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.
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Last Updated on 12/13/2025
