Pressure prevailed in Saturday’s lightweight championship doubleheader.
In the night’s main event, William Zepeda outworked and outfought Lamont Roach to capture the vacant WBC lightweight title at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, while Raymond Muratalla dominated Robson Conceicao in the co-feature to retain his IBF lightweight crown.
Advertisement
Zepeda (34-1, 27 KOs), who hadn’t boxed since suffering a convincing decision loss to Shakur Stevenson in July 2025, showed the boxing world that just because he was no match for Stevenson doesn’t mean he’s not among the elite at 135 pounds.
Heading into the fight, Roach (25-2-3, 11 KOs) was coming off a pair of controversial draws to Gervonta “Tank” Davis in March 2025 and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz this past December. There was nothing debatable about his loss Saturday to Zepeda, though.
The Mexican’s relentless pressure and notorious volume were at the center of his first world title win. Zepeda’s combinations often included a dozen punches, with body shots, hooks and left hands all part of the package. And more often than not, they were left without a sufficient response from Roach.
It was a struggle to split the pair through the first two rounds, but the third was the first clear round for either fighter — and it was for Zepeda, who started consistently closing the gap, backing Roach onto the ropes and teeing off with flurries. It wasn’t just volume, though; Zepeda also connected with quality power punches, particularly with his left hand down the middle.
Advertisement
Open scoring was used for the championship doubleheader, which means that after four and eight rounds, the official scorecards were revealed. One judge had the contest level after four, while the other two had Zepeda up 39-37, showing how pressure was being favored in the bout.
In Round 5, it became more apparent that Zepeda’s volume was overwhelming Roach and making him uncomfortable. Roach appeared reluctant to let his own hands go for fear of Zepeda pummeling him with a dozen shots.
Zepeda built up a strong lead in the middle parts of the fight. The new champion refused to slow down his offense, and when Roach did land with shots, Zepeda brushed them off and continued to press forward.
Advertisement
After eight rounds, Roach was behind 77-75 on two scorecards and 78-74 on a third. The ninth round was one of the best of the fight for Zepeda, which meant that Roach had to win each of the final three rounds to get his third consecutive career draw.
But, in fact, it was Zepeda who took a clean sweep of the final three frames.
Although Roach did increase his volume and walked Zepeda onto counter rights and check hooks, the judges favored the non-stop intensity Zepeda was bringing to the fight. It did appear that Roach was landing the cleaner punches in Rounds 10 and 11, but Zepeda’s activity — despite sometimes landing on Roach’s guard — was eye-catching for the scoring panel, and those optics helped seal his win.
Advertisement
In the end, two judges awarded Zepeda nine rounds, 117-111, while a third gave him 10, 118-110.
In the night’s co-feature, Muratalla won a wide unanimous decision (118-110, 119-109, 119-109) over Conceicao.
As the bigger and stronger fighter, Muratalla (25-0, 17 KOs) controlled the contest with front-foot pressure and sustained body work. His skilled footwork also allowed him to surprise Conceicao (21-4-1, 10 KOs) by punching from different angles and keeping him guessing with repeated foot feints.
Conceicao was ultimately no match for Muratalla in their lopsided, uneventful bout. Muratalla hinted that a move to 140 pounds was likely in his immediate future.
Raymond Muratalla (right) defeated Robson Conceicao in their IBF lightweight title bout.
(Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy via Getty Images)
Check out complete Zepeda vs. Roach results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned’s play-by-play of the main card.
Advertisement
Main card
WBC lightweight title: William Zepeda def. Lamont Roach via unanimous decision (117-111, 117-111, 118-110)
IBF lightweight title: Raymond Muratalla def. Robson Conceicao via unanimous decision (118-110, 119-109, 119-109)
Welterweight: Raul Curiel def. Quinton Randall via majority decision (95-95, 97-93, 100-90)
Super welterweight: Charles Conwell def. Paul Kroll via ninth-round TKO | Watch video
Prelims
Super lightweight: Juan Carlos Becerril def. Dylan Capetillo via third-round KO | Watch video
Welterweight: Joel Iriarte def. Jorge Lagunas via eighth-round TKO | Watch video
Middleweight: Fabian Guzman def. Aaron Coley via unanimous decision (78-74 ×2, 79-73)
Super bantamweight: Gael Cabrera def. Francisco Pedroza Portillo via unanimous decision (79-73 ×2, 80-72)
Lightweight: Dalis Kaleiopu def. Yeyery Castillo via first-round KO | Watch video
-
Darshan Desai
-
Darshan Desai
William Zepeda defeats Lamont Roach by unanimous decision (117-111, 117-111, 118-110) to win the vacant WBC lightweight championship.
-
Darshan Desai
Final round coming up. Both need to win it – both on Uncrowned and likely on the official scorecards. Roach’s corner told him he needs to stop Zepeda.
Roach is looking to walk Zepeda onto power shots with his right. But the issue with Roach looking for power punches is that he lets Zepeda outwork him. Nice right for Roach. Zepeda returns fire. Nice bodywork from Zepeda. Roach connects with a two-piece. Another combination lands for Roach. Zepeda lands the left, and follows up. BRILLIANT left-hand from Zepeda and that may have been his best punch of the fight. Roach walks into a right hook. He swings big but falls short.
10-9, 115-113 Zepeda
-
Darshan Desai
Six minutes to go. Zepeda likely only needs one of these two rounds to win this fight.
Terrific combination from Zepeda – some of those shots definitely had an impact through the guard. Roach walks Zepeda onto an uppercut. Even exchanges in this 11th-round. Roach’s fans are finally getting behind him. His clean shots are telling in these rounds now. Zepeda isn’t having quite as much success.
10-9 Roach, 105-104 Zepeda
-
Darshan Desai
Round 9 was one of Zepeda’s strongest rounds of the fight. So unless Roach scores a knockdown or a knockout, the best he can manage is a draw.
Into Round 10. Zepeda and Roach trading shots on the guard in this first minute. Nice right-hand counter from Roach. Left scores for Roach. Roach lands a flush shot, but Zepeda is not fazed and lets a flurry go. Left hands to the body from Zepeda. Roach is trying to counter with rights. Nice left hook from Roach and a body shot to conclude one of his better frames.
10-9 Roach, 96-94 Zepeda
-
Darshan Desai
Lamont Roach will probably need a knockout. He is behind on the scorecards, and William Zepeda doesn’t look like he’s going to be slowing down anytime soon. Roach needs a clean sweep to win if he can’t score a knockout. Zepeda looks to be in control at this point in the fight.
-
Darshan Desai
78-74, 77-75, 77-75 — all for William Zepeda.
-
Darshan Desai
Zepeda starts Round 8 like he’s in Round 1. He throws a six-piece just to get things going. Another combination – Zepeda lets his hands go upstairs and then throws hard to the body. And the bodywork has been tremendous from him in this fight, and especially in this first minute. They traded body shots; Zepeda follows up with hooks upstairs. Combination from Roach now, but it misses. Roach is trying to match Zepeda’s volume, but that’ll be a very hard fight. Zepeda is defensively sound here too; he makes Roach miss. Nice left to end the frame.
10-9, 77-75 Zepeda
-
Darshan Desai
We are in the second half of this fight. Hooks for both to begin this frame. Roach walks Zepeda into a combination. A lot of volume from Zepeda now. Roach is looking to punch inbetween. Body shot connects for Zepeda. Nice left-hand from the Mexican. Roach looks for a right-hand body shot. A Zepeda combination has the crowd excited. It was a left hook amidst that combination that clearly affected him. Nice one-two-hook from Zepeda. Another two-piece is clean. Roach responds, but the Mexican is undeterred by that. Zepeda is having a good final minute to this round.
10-9, 67-66 Zepeda
-
Darshan Desai
Roach is going to have to change something because this fight is starting to get away from him.
Nice left-hand connect for Zepeda. And a combination after it. Roach is now predominantly on the back foot and against the ropes. Zepeda’s pressure, volume and intensity are the story of these rounds. Roach is having a little more success with the counter rights, though. Brilliant hook counter from Roach just before the two-minute mark. Another hook counter for Roach. Zepeda responds with a volume. It doesn’t seem like Roach’s power is a problem for Zepeda.
10-9 Roach, 57-57
-
Darshan Desai
Zepeda is ahead by two points on two cards. The judges are clearly liking the pressure from Zepeda tonight.
Exchange on the inside. Zepeda starts to let his hands go as Roach is backed up. Lovely hook from Zepeda. Another power shot connects. Roach isn’t able to slow down Zepeda. Lead right for Roach. Zepeda is in front of Roach every second of the three minutes, and it looks like the volume is finally starting to overwhelm Roach a little bit. There are periods in this round where the punch activity has come from Zepeda, and Roach can do nothing but cover up. Success for both with power shots in this final minute, but that’s surely another William Zepeda round.
10-9 Zepeda, 48-47
-
Darshan Desai
38-38, 39-37 ×2 for William Zepeda.
Roach is going to have to play catch-up.
-
Darshan Desai
Zepeda threw 89 punches in Round 3 and landed 25, almost double Roach’s 13 of 47.
Zepeda begins Round 4 with a surge of volume. Roach is looking to counter to the body. Zepeda is also looking for body shots. Left hook scores for Roach. One-two down the middle lands. Two left hooks from Roach as Zepeda was trying to close the gap. Much better round for Roach. Three rights connect for Roach. Zepeda, comfortable with the power, stays in punching range and continues to let his hands go. Body work from Roach. Zepeda responds to the body and then follows upstairs.
10-9 Roach, 38-38
-
Darshan Desai
2-0 Zepeda, 2-0 Roach, 1-1 – Who knows? Social media is split.
Left-hand connects for Zepeda; Roach tries to counter it with a right. Zepeda closes down the gap and tries to let his hands go, but Roach escapes trouble. The right-hand down the middle finds a home for Roach again. Body shot lands for Zepeda. Now, he’s trying to go through the middle with uppercuts. A pair of lefts for Zepeda. Strong one-two for the Mexican. He’s having his best moments of the fight. Roach scores with two rights, but it is met by a dozen-punch combination from Zepeda. Zepeda is coming to life in this round, and he is landing with some quality power shots. Another combination. Zepeda is teeing off on Roach.
10-9 Zepeda, 29-28
-
Darshan Desai
Nice counter right from Roach. Left-hand breaks the guard, and then a combination follows for Zepeda. Lovely check hook counter and a right hand down the middle for Roach. But now Zepeda lands a right hook and follows up with a flurry of shots. Zepeda lands a good left-hand as Roach was trying to move away from his offense. BIG right from Roach, and it knocked Zepeda off balance. Zepeda connects with a jab. Two lefts score for the Mexican.
10-9 Roach, 19-19
-
Darshan Desai
Here we go! Many are predicting this to be the Fight of the Year. Can they deliver?
It’s southpaw-orthodox. Zepeda is the left-hander and the pressure fighter. Roach is using his jab early doors and aimed a right hand to the body that time. It will be vital for Roach to slow down Zepeda with body shots. Zepeda is closing down the gap but not letting much volume go yet. Right hook counter connects for Zepeda. Nice right for Zepeda again. Roach unleashes a combination on the guard. Another flurry of shots. Zepeda has Roach in the corner and goes to work a little. Close round!
10-9 Zepeda
-
Darshan Desai
Uncrowned will bring you the official scorecards after Rounds 4 and 8.
-
Darshan Desai
We are just a few minutes away from the first bell.
-
Darshan Desai
The US’s Lamont Roach battles Mexico’s William Zepeda for the vacant WBC lightweight title.
Roach (25-1-3, 11 KOs), the former WBA super featherweight titleholder, moves up to lightweight looking to become a two-division world champion. Roach is coming off back-to-back draws to Gervonta Davis in March 2025 and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in December.
Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs) looks to rebound from the first defeat of his professional career, which came to Shakur Stevenson in July 2025, also for the WBC lightweight title.
-
Darshan Desai
Raymond Muratalla defeats Robson Conceicao by unanimous decision (118-110, 119-109, 119-109) to retain his IBF lightweight title.
Read the full article here