"SWIFT" Jarrett Hurd Becomes Unified Jr. Middleweight Champion Of The World!

LATE KNOCKDOWN DECIDES UNIFICATION TITLE
FOR "SWIFT JARRETT HURD

Jarrett Hurd scored a late knockdown with 37 seconds left in the final round to get the split decision victory over Erislandy Lara in a highly competitive jr. middleweight title unification fight Saturday night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Judge Burt Clements scored the bout 114-113 for Lara while judges Glenn Feldman and Dave Morretti scored it the same 114-113 for Hurd. 

The 34-year-old, 5'9" Lara was able to get off to a fast start by landing shots between the guard of Hurd for the first few rounds of the fight, but the 27-year-old, 6'1" Hurd used his game plan to do exactly what he said he wanted to do and that was pressure Lara throughout the contest. It was Hurd's volume punching and power that was the difference. The power Hurd showed in his past five fights was exactly the telling factor in his victory against the veteran Lara. 

Jarrett Hurd defends his title for the second time to remain undefeated at (22-0, 15 KO's) while Erislandy Lara is now (25-3-2, 14 KO's).

Hurd:

"It was a tough one, but I went out there and did exactly what I said I was going to do, fight all 12 rounds and get the victory. I didn't feel like that 12th-round knockdown for the win. I feel like I was in control the whole fight, applying the pressure."



Lara:

"Besides the last round, I thought I was winning this fight easily," said Lara, who went to the hospital after the fight as a precaution. "That's not to decide the fight. I was winning the fight. One punch in a fight doesn't determine the fight. 100 percent I want the rematch! The problem was the cut on the eye. I couldn't see in the last round."