The fight between Brandon Rios and Diego Chaves ended in the ninth round, and it wasn't the outcome both fighters expected.
Diego Chaves was disqualified due to several foul shots and for poking Rios' eye. After he was declared the victor, Rios had to be brought to the hospital to be checked for a possible corneal abrasion. He also complained of dizziness and shoulder issues, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports.
Rios told a reporter after the bout, "He kept sticking his glove right into my eye." Chaves already suffered point deductions during the third and seventh rounds. The fight was supposed to go for 10 rounds but referee, Vic Drakulich, finally disqualified Chaves with 1:26 remaining in the ninth round after he threw an elbow to the face of Rios. At that time, Chaves was ahead of Rios by one point on two judges and trailed by one point on the third judge.
Rios also had a point deducted during the fifth round. Chaves complained after the fight that Rios kept hitting him in the back. He said, "What was I supposed to do?"
In a report by Boxing Insider, Chaves was more active on offense. Rios preferred to do body shots first. Chaves used a variety of combinations in the second round while Rios continued to hit his opponent on the body. Chaves had his first point deduction in the third round for holding. Chaves was more active until the fourth round and was the clear leader in terms of points. Chaves was faster but Rios was stronger. As the rounds continued, referee Drakulich seemed to have lost control of the match. There was a series of holding, elbow-throwing, head butts, slams and other fouls.
Francisco Aguilar, chairman of the commission, said that Drakulich will meet with Bennett in the commission office on August 4 to review the bout. Aguilar said, "Vic early on tried to set a standard in that fight between these two fighters. This was not a boxing match; this was a brawl. They were there to brawl. Vic tried to take control of that fight by deducting the points, whether or not you agree that point was appropriate. He was trying to get control and as the fight went on, he was losing that control."
Aguilar added, "I don't think either corner had respect for the authority in that ring. That is my concern. When he went in there to lay down the law, they were not listening. That fight was disintegrating to a point where it could become dangerous."