Abner Mares (now 26-1-1, 14 KO's) tasted a left hook served up by Jhonny Gonzalez (55-8, 46 KO’s) early in the first round and shortly thereafter he tasted the canvas and his first defeat in losing his WBC Featherweight title. Mares rose valiantly from a devastating left hook but he was in big trouble and Gonzalez finished the job in short order. Jhonny crashed a combination off Abner's head and Mares crumbled backwards and at the 2:55 mark of round one this fight was over.

The fight started out a bit slow and even drew some boos from the crowd who saw a scorcher in the semi-main event. But those boos soon turned to cheers as Mares landed a crisp three punch combo on Gonzalez. It looked like Mares found his range but seconds later Gonzalez threw a left hook that landed crisply on the jaw of Abner, and just like that referee Jack Reiss was standing over Abner giving him an eight count.

Mares got to his feet but you could see he was in big trouble. Wasting no time the veteran Gonzalez saw his moment and he seized it. In a moment Mares kissed the canvas again but this time the fight was over. Mares did not make it through the first three minutes.

After the fight Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer told the media, “Mares could have taken a knee but Abner only knows one way to fight.” Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor, but truthfully, I don’t think it would have made a difference on this night. Gonzalez overwhelmed Mares with that hook and after that there was little the fallen champ could do.

After the fight Gonzalez revealed that team Mares forced him to wrap his hands twice in the dressing room, and said it was a ploy to get under his skin. "I knew after that I had to win at all costs, and I did," said a victorious Gonzalez.

Mares congratulated Gonzalez for his victory and said, "I am not here to win or to lose, I am just here to fight the best, I felt I could have gone on tonight but I respect the ref's decision."

Earlier in the week stories had spread throughout the internet that back in the day the two sparred and Jhonny always got the best of the young up and comer Mares. Tonight Gonzalez made Mares look like a youngster again.