By John DiSanto at ringside
Photos: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Fightnews.com

In the main event at the MGM National Harbor, WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko, 8-1, 6 KOs, stopped Camden, NJ’s Jason Sosa, 20-2-4, 15 KOs, at the end of round nine to defend his world title. Lomachenko dominated the action from the opening bell and won every round of the fight. Sosa’s eyes began to swell in round three and worsened as the fight progressed. Sosa showed his toughness, but could not match the champion’s skills. In round eight, Lomachenko hurt Sosa badly a few times, but the challenger remained on his feet. Still, the session was so decisive that the round could have been scored 10-8. After Lomachenko administered another full round of punishment in the ninth, and in the light of the fact that Jason had no chance of turning the fight, Sosa’s corner wisely asked referee Kenny Chevalier to halt the contest before the bell sounded for the tenth. The official time of the TKO was 3:00 of round nine.

“It was the accumulation of punches, and the fact that I didn’t want to see him get hurt, that I stopped the fight,” said Raul Rivas, trainer of Sosa.

“I came to show my “High Tech” style and to prove that I am the best fighter in the world,” Lomachenko said after his victory. “I think I did my job.”

2,828 attended the show.