Ricardo Sandoval’s first protection of his unified flyweight titles led to catastrophe as Sergio Mendoza Cordova dropped him 3 times and compelled a fifth-round stoppage Saturday night time at Wintrust Enviornment in Chicago.
Mendoza (28-1, 24 KOs) took the WBA and WBC belts from Sandoval (27-3, 18 KOs), turning a late substitute look right into a career-changing victory. Sandoval was presupposed to get by means of this struggle and transfer towards greater alternatives. As a substitute, he left together with his title plans torn aside.
The warning about Mendoza was there in his report: 23 stoppages from 27 victories getting into the struggle. His second-round knockout loss to Thanongsak Simsri in April made him look weak, however it didn’t erase the hazard in his punching.
Sandoval had his personal success, knocking Mendoza down with a proper hook within the second spherical. That ought to have given the champion one thing to construct on. Mendoza recovered, nonetheless, and Sandoval couldn’t forestall the southpaw from taking up with strain and heavy photographs.
Three knockdowns informed the story. This was no slim defeat that Sandoval may dispute afterward, and the referee’s intervention within the fifth prevented him from taking additional punishment.
The loss additionally modifications how Sandoval’s prolonged absence seems. After beating Kenshiro Teraji by break up choice in Japan in July 2025, he spent greater than a 12 months exterior the ring earlier than defending his belts. Regardless of the causes for that delay, his return provided not one of the momentum he wanted.
Successful two titles had put Sandoval in place to pursue greater fights. Dropping each in his first protection leaves him needing to rebuild, with out the championship standing that helped make these fights attainable.
Mendoza deserves the credit score for refusing to let his personal knockdown determine the competition. He arrived as an underdog making his U.S. debut, absorbed an early setback and stored attacking. Sandoval had the plans, however Mendoza had the punches to wreck them.
