Mark Magsayo TKO5 Feargal McCrory ... In the Zuffa Boxing co-feature in Las Vegas, former featherweight champion Mark Magsayo successfully moved up to lightweight by finishing off Ireland’s Feargal McCrory. Cheered on by his Filipino following inside the Meta Apex, Magsayo made sure McCrory tasted his power early as he cracked the Irishman with two thumping right hands towards the end of the opening round. And, while McCrory gamely looked to step into range to land shots of his own, he struggled to connect with anything meaningful early on as Magsayo eased into the contest.

 

Magsayo continued to look a class above McCrory through the second and third rounds, and he came close to stopping the Irishman late in the fourth with a series of clean, hard shots that seemed to rock, but not drop, his man.

 

And, after McCrory’s corner warned him that they would pull him out of the fight if he continued to take damage, the call from head coach Colin Morgan came 21 seconds into the fifth round after Magsayo lit up McCrory with more power shots.

 

Elated, Magsayo celebrated a stoppage victory in his first Zuffa Boxing appearance, while McCrory was clearly gutted at his corner’s decision to pull him from the fight. In truth, it looked like a merciful decision from his team in order to give the brave Irishman the chance to potentially return to compete again. And, on the flip-side, it looks like Zuffa Boxing has a legitimate contender in Magsayo, who declared after his win that lightweight is his division, and that he’s ready to challenge for a world title.