Photos: Emmanuel Rodriguez Drops Melvin Lopez Three Times, Wins IBF Title

MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill - For the vacant IBF bantamweight title, Emmanuel Rodriguez (22-2, 13 KOs) became a two-time beltholder with a dominant twelve round unanimous decision over Melvin Lopez (29-2, 19 KOs). (photos by Amanda Westscott)

All three judges scored the fight 120-105.

In the first, both had moments with solid punches connecting. During the second, Rodriguez was connecting with very accurate punches. Rodriguez was outboxing Lopez during the third. 

The pace seemed to slow down by the fourth, with Rodriguez just pressing and outboxing Lopez as the first half played out. Lopez would look to counter as Rodriguez would come inside, but he was unable to connect with anything big.

By the eight, the right eye of Rodriguez was swelling up. While there were numerous head clashes, the commission ruled the damage as being from punches. Rodriguez started to up the tempo with his combinations. While the eye continued to rapidly swell, Rodriguez was outboxing and outlanding Lopez for the remainder of the fight.

In the twelfth and final round, Rodriguez closed the fight strong when he dropped Lopez with heavy body shots. Lopez got up but he was dropped two more times with shots to the head and body before the round closed out.