Under new trainer Buddy McGirt, Diego Pacheco could be a real force in boxing’s super middleweight division.
Pacheco delivered a much-improved performance to stop Immanuwel Aleem in Round 11 of their DAZN main event on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
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Pacheco (26-0, 19 KOs) had gained a reputation for being a knockout artist. In his 2025 campaign, however, the 25-year-old went the 12-round distance for three fights in a row, all in unimpressive showings.
Pacheco left his longtime trainer, Jose Benavidez Sr. — the father of pound-for-pound star David Benavidez — late last year and appointed his old amateur coach, Omar Villanueva, as head coach. In the lone 2025 fight where Villanueva was the lead trainer, Pacheco was floored by Kevin Lele Sadjo and scraped by in a messy fight.
Pacheco, still not content with his performance, decided to search for another trainer, and eventually settled on Hall of Fame coach McGirt. And it’s already looking like the perfect move for his career.
On Saturday, the super middleweight contender was as assertive with the jab as he has been in any fight thus far. He threw it consistently to break Aleem (22-5-3, 14 KOs) down and set up his power shots. The jab clearly gave the much shorter Aleem problems and prevented him from closing the gap with regularity.
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When Sadjo moved to get up close against Pacheco last December, Pacheco looked lost; he was forced to tie up and try to wrestle with Sadjo in scrappy moments. Pacheco’s inside game dramatically improved on Saturday, though. Whenever Aleem got close, Pacheco met him with hard body shots and threw the right uppercut through the middle.
Alongside his jab, body shots and uppercuts were two of Pacheco’s strongest weapons against Aleem. In the second half of the bout, Pacheco landed the left hook downstairs at will. Each time the shot landed, the fight was being taken out of Aleem little by little.
The first big breakthrough came in Round 7, when Pacheco hurt Aleem to the body at the end of the frame. Aleem managed to weather the storm though, and saw out the round. Pacheco began to hold his feet more in the following rounds and dig in with heavy hooks downstairs.
In Round 10, Pacheco had Aleem in trouble with a blistering combination. He proceeded to rock his opponent with a right uppercut and poured on the pressure in search of a stoppage, but referee Ray Corona allowed the bout to continue despite Aleem absorbing significant punishment.
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After an inspection from the referee and the doctor, Aleem was allowed off his stool for Round 11. He’d lost every round of the fight at that point, and the chances of a knockout appeared slim — for Aleem anyway. But Pacheco knew he still had to deliver a finish in front of his home crowd, and that is exactly what he did.
In Round 11, Pacheco picked up right where he left off. Several big rights forced Aleem onto one knee, and from there, it just took one clean combination for referee Corona to step in and stop the contest.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Jaime Munguia,” Pacheco said of the WBA super middleweight champion after his win. “That’s a guy that I’ve looked up to since I was a kid. I remember being in Mexico when I was watching him win his first world title at 154 [pounds].
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“Ever since [that], I knew, down the line, there was a possible fight for me. I got nothing but respect for him. If he gives me the opportunity, we could definitely rumble.”
In the night’s co-feature, recent title challenger Andy Cruz (7-1, 4 KOs), a 2020 Olympic gold medalist, fought for the first time since falling short to Raymond Muratalla for the IBF lightweight championship this past January. Cruz needed less than three rounds to knock out Mexico’s Abraham Montoya (24-8-1, 14 KOs) in a monster rebound performance.
Check out complete Pacheco vs. Aleem results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned’s play-by-play of the main card.
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Main card
Super middleweight: Diego Pacheco def. Immanuwel Aleem via 11th-round KO | Watch video
Lightweight: Andy Cruz def. Abraham Montoya via third-round TKO | Watch video
Featherweight: Albert Gonzalez def. Aaron Alameda Lopez via second-round KO | Watch video
Bantamweight: Bruno Rios Jr. def. Saul Sanchez via unanimous decision (95-94, 96-93, 96-93)
Prelims
Heavyweight: Leo Atang def. Glen Williams via second-round TKO | Watch video
Lightweight: Samuel Contreras def. Jorge Alberto Ayala Lopez via unanimous decision (60-54, 59-55 ×2)
Middleweight: Frank Espinoza def. Luis Caraballo via third-round TKO (corner stoppage)
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Heavyweight: Federico Pacheco Jr. def. Nick Jones via second-round TKO (injury)
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
Aleem will be allowed to come out for Round 11. He has lost every round of this fight, but he still has a puncher’s chance. Great uppercut from Pacheco. Aleem is backed up on the ropes and eats a combination. Pacheco goes for body shots. One clean flurry will end this. Aleem is eating heavy punishment. Right uppercut. He’s one or two shots away. The referee wants Aleem to show him something. HUGE RIGHT! Pacheco is looking for the kill. DOWN GOES ALEEM! Pacheco puts his punches together. Aleem is in survival mode. And it is over! The referee saves Aleem after a clean combination.
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Darshan Desai
Nine minutes to go. Can Pacheco force a stoppage? Aleem just falls short with a jumping left hook. Body shot connects for Pacheco. And another one. He has landed body shots all night long. And a brilliant uppercut follows. Combination from Pacheco has the referee taking a closer look. The stoppage is here if Pacheco can put his shots together. MASSIVE uppercut rocks Aleem. Double left hand. Pacheco is letting his hands go. Right hands are connecting. Can he let his hands go? Pacheco might have missed his chance.
10-9, 100-90 Pacheco
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Darshan Desai
More investment in the body to begin Round 9. His trainer told Pacheco not to get “right-hand happy” – and the first three big punches he threw in this round were all with the left hand. Right uppercut connects. Pacheco lands that punch again, and then doubles and triples to the body with left hooks. Left uppercut that time. Combination punching. Aleem’s head is being hit back. Aleem lands a strong right-hand, though. Pacheco stays in punching range and tries to land one better. Brilliant uppercut from Pacheco. Hard body shots follow.
10-9, 90-81 Pacheco
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Darshan Desai
Pacheco looks to land more heavy artillery downstairs in Round 8. A pair of uppercuts breaks the guard. Another hard body shot connects. Pacheco is looking for openings on the inside. Against Sadjo, he was holding on the inside. But tonight, Pacheco is trying to go to work on the inside and land hard body punches. Aleem has been hurt to the body multiple times in this fight.
10-9, 80-72 Pacheco
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Darshan Desai
Into the second half of this fight. Pacheco has not won by knockout in almost two years. Will he look to change that in the upcoming rounds?
Pacheco is dominating the seventh with his jab. It is being fought at a slower pace. Aleem is trying to get more physical and land short punches on the inside. Nice right-hand from Aleem. That was the best punch of the fight from him. Pacheco was noticeably affected by that. But he doesn’t weather the storm; he walks forward and lets his hands go. HUGE body shot. Another one. Aleem is hurt. Pacheco is putting his punches together. Aleem has to take a knee or hold on because Pacheco is putting his punches together.
10-9, 70-63 Pacheco
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Darshan Desai
Double jab connects for Aleem. Pacheco closes the range with the jab and lets a couple of combinations go. He will bully Aleem around the ring with his long, strong jab. Nice body connect for Pacheco. He goes back to the body.
“This is a complete performance,” says DAZN commentator Sergio Mora. Body shot and a right hand – and the same but reversed to end the frame.
10-9, 60-54 Pacheco
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Darshan Desai
The use of the jab has been as good as Pacheco has ever used it. It is controlling this fight for him and setting up big right hands – like that one that landed to begin the second minute. Nice body shots from Pacheco on the inside, and an uppercut follows. One-two connects. Aleem is a still target now. Body shot lands. Aleem may be here for the taking now. Lovely body work from Pacheco, followed by a right-hand and combination punching. The Carson crowd is enjoying this performance.
10-9, 50-45 Pacheco
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Darshan Desai
Aleem was being urged by his corner to get on the inside and let his hands go, but with Pacheco’s jab and counter-punching, it’s easier said than done. Terrific long right-hand connects for Pacheco. He looks to go again with the backhand. Pacheco is breaking the guard consistently with rights in this second minute. Now, Pacheco goes back to his jab. Aleem is content with letting Pacheco dictate the pace and range. Aleem is doing a better job of getting under Pacheco’s power shots at the end of Round 4.
10-9 Pacheco, 40-36
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Darshan Desai
Pacheco aimed the right-hand downstairs in a switch-up. Short hook connects for Aleem up close. Lovely chopping right connects for Pacheco. Pacheco goes back to his triple/quadruple jab. The right hand is “Money” again. Pacheco is landing with power to head and body – and the Carson crowd is enjoying this fight.
10-9, 30-27 Pacheco
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Darshan Desai
More head movement from Aleem to begin Round 2 as he looks to close the gap on the much taller man. Pacheco listens to trainer Buddy McGirt’s advice in the corner – he is being assertive with his jab and is trying to come forward. Pacheco landing with hooks to the body – another thing McGirt wanted him to do. Pacheco tries to walk Aleem into a sharp counter right-hand. Uppercut lands on the inside. Pacheco is making Aleem miss with wide hooks. Aleem gets one back, and Pacheco breaks the guard to end the frame. Improved showing from Pacheco thus far.
10-9, 20-18 Pacheco
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Darshan Desai
Pacheco has a significant height and reach advantage over Aleem. He comes out throwing his long, strong jab. Aleem is looking to close the gap and work on the inside straight away. Nice right from Pacheco. Lovely right-hand connects over the top. Pacheco looks for another overhand right. Aleem is looking to make things rough and tough for Pacheco on the inside. They trade shots in the final seconds of the round. Pacheco got the better with the left hook and a right to close proceedings.
10-9 Pacheco
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Darshan Desai
It’s time for our main event. Can Diego Pacheco go back to his knockout ways?
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Darshan Desai
Diego Pacheco and Immanuwel Aleem are about to ring walk.
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
Main event will be in a few minutes.
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Darshan Desai
We will see him under new trainer Buddy McGirt for the first time tonight!
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Darshan Desai
Top-ranked super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco faces Immanuwel Aleem as he continues his ascent toward a world title shot
Pacheco (25-0, 18 KOs) has established himself as one of the leading contenders at 168 pounds, and now returns for the first fight of his career under Hall of Fame trainer Buddy McGirt.
Aleem (22-4-3, 14 KOs) was defeated this past March by Lester Martinez in his bid for the WBC interim title.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – MARCH 11: Diego Pacheco poses for a photograph with their Title Belts as they celebrate after defeating Jack Cullen during the WBO International Super Middle Title fight between Diego Pacheco and Jack Cullen at M&S Bank Arena on March 11, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
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