It starts with eight but, there can only be one. MTK Global’s Golden Contract Super Lightweight quarterfinals provided an evening of action-packed boxing at London’s York Hall on Friday.
In the headline matchup, Ohara Davies (20-2, 15 KOs) earned a seventh-round TKO over previously unbeaten Logan “Korican Kid” Yoon (16-1, 12 KOs).
Yoon was far from sunny Hawaii in London and was outclassed from the early going but, showed a strong chin. Referee John Lewis, who is known for stopping fights early, let this one continue after the issue became one-sided late in the fifth. Yoon’s corner pulled him out after the end of the sixth.
Tyrone McKenna (20-1-1, 6 KOs) won a one-sided 10-round unanimous decision over Mikey Sakyi (8-3, 4 KOs). McKenna retained his WBC International Belt with scores were 100-90, 100-90, 99-91. McKenna, who represents Ireland, controlled the fight from the outside and never let Sakyi get into a rhythm.
In the evenings most exciting fight, former European Welterweight champion Mohamed Mimoune (23-3, 3 KOs) was dropped in the second round of his fight against Darren Surtees. Yet, the man from Toulouse was far from done. As he fell to the canvas, the dozens of French fans in attendance jumped out of their seats and willed their fighter to his feet.
Mimonue sported both the French and Senegalese flags on his trunks and needed the encouragement. However, the knockdown–if anything–seemed to wake up Mimoune who went on to stop the previously unbeaten Darren Surtees (12-1, 8 KOs) in the fifth round.
In another intriguing result, Jeff Ofori (10-1-1, 3 KOs), a late substitute in the tournament, advanced to the next round despite a hard-fought draw with Kieran Gething (9-2-2, 2 KOs). Scores were 96-95 Gething, 96-94 Ofori, 95-95. The referee picked Ofori to advance despite the draw.
Round By Round Boxing agreed with the choice as Ofori was landing the harder shots. Just seven days prior, Ofori upset the unbeaten Gerard Carroll and will hopefully now take a well-deserved rest.
Mimoune and Davies both earned KO bonuses for the fight. The next round of the tournament will take place next year.
There is allegedly bad blood between McKenna and Davies with the pair involved in a parking lot altercation weeks before Friday’s card (video of which can be found online below).
The two look likely to meet in a future round of the tournament, the winner of which will win a long-term fight contract with MTK Global.
In the untelevised portion of the card, Martin McDonagh (7-1) defeated Josh Thorner (1-13-2) as McDonagh returned to York Hall for the first time since losing to Daniel “Darko” Egbunike in June on a different MTK Global card.
McDonagh’s victory was a strong suggesting that the young man from Kent still has plenty of fight left in him.
