Lopez Holds Off Rugged Effort From Coria for MD Win in Top Rank’s Las Vegas ‘Bubble’

June 12, 2020 RL Woodson Adam Lopez, Bantamweight, ESPN, Featherweight, Gabriel Muratalla, Louie Coria, MGM Grand, Top Rank

Adam Lopez returns to ESPN looking to impress and runs into a game Louie Coria in an exciting bout on Top Rank’s second Summer Series show

LAS VEGAS (June 11, 2020) — In the second installment of Top rank’s Summer Series, the action featured more than just fighters making adjustments inside “The Bubble” – MGM Grand’s Grand Conference Center–Grand Ballroom – as the line-up was changed to open with the co-main event.

Featherweights Adam Lopez (14-2, 6 KOs) and Louie Coria (12-3, 7 KOs) flashed the leather early and sustained exciting action the entire 10 rounds. Coria pressed forward establishing his attack, working quickly the first 30 seconds. His attack forced Lopez to return fire the last 30 seconds of the opening minute. Coria’s work likely earned him the first round – he was credited with a 42-36 lead in landed punches.

The two fighters split time controlling the action, but in the end Lopez walked away with a majority decision with cards of 95-95, 96-94 and 96-94. Lopez’ movement and work with his jab set up his power shots through the middle rounds that built a lead a surging Coria couldn’t overtake over rounds 7-10.

Chief seconds Robert Garcia and Buddy McGirt fiercely barked out instructions that could clearly be heard by their fighters Coria and Lopez, respectively. With the momentum shifting to Lopez in the third Coria’s pressure kept the action close. Lopez took control of the fight, turning Coria to touch him with multiple jabs followed by solid right hands. As Coria’s output lowered, Lopez maintained his spacing better and slipped shots more effectively.

In the fourth round, Coria continued to press forward but fatigue appeared to impact the accuracy seen during his attack in the first frame. Lopez laced Coria with double and triple jabs, as well as jabs underneath.

Lopez turned the tables in the fifth round. He switched to southpaw briefly and strafed Coria with a series of stinging 1-2 combinations. The action was more even in the sixth, but Lopez downplayed the effects of swelling around his eyes by firing a few big flurries that could have decided a close round.

In the seventh round ESPN showed a graphic indicated Lopez’ number of landed jabs was triple Coria’s output. Coria’s energy level picked back up in the eighth round but he still wasn’t as sharp as he looked in the opening rounds.

Lopez’ pace slowed significantly over the final two rounds, while he also dealt with his eyes continuing to swell. The space he was able to manage well through the mid rounds disappeared. McGirt urged him to fight tired and match Coria’s punching. The action became more back-and-forth, but without a knockdown Coria’s late rally failed to do enough to avoid a loss.

In the second fight Gabriel Muratalla stopped Fernando Robles (2-2) in the first round with a big right hand to Robles’ temple area. The drove the Texan back through the top rope before he came back into the ring and went down to the canvas. The fight marked Muratalla’s first fight in the United States, and the Fontana, California based Bantamweight improved his record to 3-0 with his third knockout.