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“This guy thinks he won lol”: Vergil Ortiz Jr. Reacts To Oscar Valdez vs Robson Conceicao

Published 09/11/2021, 1:36 PM EDT

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Enmeshed in immense controversy around testing positive for Phentermine, Oscar Valdez secured a unanimous decision win over Robson Conceicao on Friday night. However, fans are split over the judges’ decision and the scoring for this fight.

To many, both fighters seemed level throughout the 12-rounds. However, there are also some that believe Valdez’s win was justified.

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WBO International Welterweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. reacted to the Valdez-Conceicao title fight in a series of tweets. The 23-year-old saw it as a very close 12-round bout but believed Oscar Valdez deserved the win.

He first tweeted out “this guy thinks he won lol” in reaction to the Brazillian fighter raising his gloves in the air after the fight.

In another Tweet, Vergil Ortiz Jr. highlighted that it was a close fight but that Robson Conceicao definitely did not win.

It was a close fight but if y’all thought he beat Oscar mannnnnn,” Ortiz tweeted after the fight.

Oscar Valdez vs Robson Conceicao – Fight Analysis

Twelve years back, Robson Conceicao had first encountered Oscar Valdez as an amateur. In 2009, the Brazillian fighter defeated Valdez by PTS (points decision).

Naturally, stepping into this fight, Conceicao had an air of confidence around him as he prepared to take on his old rival from the amateur days.

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Here’s a round-by-round breakdown of what unfolded on Friday night –

Robson Conceicao seemed dominant in the first five rounds

Conceicao started off strong. In the first two rounds, he seemed more aggressive and even capitalized on his 4-inch reach advantage. He created distance with his jab and blocked Valdez from fighting inside the pocket.

However, the Mexican champion used his footwork to close the distance and even rocked him with an overhand right in round 3. Even though it did not do much harm to his opponent, it definitely broke Conceicao’s momentum to an extent.

Canelo Alvarez, who sat ringside, was constantly screaming instructions at his teammate. Reportedly, he asked Valdez to pick up the pace and increase the volume of punches during round 4.

By the fifth round, Robson Conceicao got a little too comfortable in the ring. He assumed he was up on the scorecards, clearly reduced his striking, and even dropped his guard. Many have argued that this period of inactivity cost Conceicao the title.

Oscar Valdez picked up the pace in the later rounds

In the subsequent rounds, Valdez picked up the pace, and his opponent seemed worn out. By round 8, even commentator Tim Bradley picked up on this and said Conceicao was fighting to survive.

In round 9, the fighter from Brazil seemed to have hit Valdez on the back of his head. Without any warning, the referee immediately deducted a point. Upon replay, it was clear to most that Conceicao had lightly tapped his opponent’s head when the referee separated them. To many, the referee’s decision to cut points seemed unjustified and uncalled for.

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The later rounds saw both fighters tired as output from both corners had reduced. However, Valdez was still able to land some effective body shots and even a few overhands in these rounds. With minimal activity in round 12, both fighters raised their hands after the bell. As the judge’s scorecards were being announced, Robson Conceicao also seemed hopeful.

However, the judges scored the fight 117-110, 115-112, and 115-112 in favor of Oscar Valdez. He retained his title and closed the night with a callout aimed at the winner of Shakur Stevenson vs Jamel Herring on Oct 23.

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With many fans upset and torn over the decision of this fight, would it make sense for the two to run it back?

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Written by:

Sanjit Misra

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Sanjit Misra is a boxing author at EssentiallySports. Sanjit fused this passion for writing with his love for jabs, hooks, weaves, and uppercuts and entered the realm of boxing journalism. The elegance, the science, the techniques, and the finesse of hand-to-hand combat was what initially drew him into the world of boxing.
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