Omari Jones got the hometown finish he said he wanted, stopping Alan Sanchez at 0:49 of round two in the junior middleweight main event of Matchroom’s Project Series 2 on Friday night at Caribe Royale Orlando.
The scheduled eight-rounder streamed on DAZN, and we watched it live. Jones, 23, a 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, moved to 8-0 with 5 knockouts. Sanchez, 35, fell to 24-8-1 with 10 knockouts.
Quick Results
- Junior middleweight: Omari Jones def. Alan Sanchez by TKO at 0:49 of round two.
- Bantamweight: Jordan Orozco def. Yusniel Abrahante by TKO in round six.
- Super middleweight: Donte Layne def. Keithland King by unanimous decision (80-72, 80-72, 78-74).
- Featherweight: Fidencio Hernandez def. Diego Nieves by majority decision (58-56, 58-56, 57-57).
- Super middleweight: Ronny Alvarez def. Narciso Carmona by TKO in round three.
- Junior welterweight: Jusiyah Shirley def. Kevin Castillo by unanimous decision (60-54, 59-55, 59-55).
- Lightweight: Angel Hernandez def. Duilio Jaramillo by knockout at 2:56 of round one.
- Junior bantamweight: Ryan Santiago def. Jesus Ivan Molina by majority decision (40-36, 39-37, 38-38).
Jones def. Sanchez
It was Jones’ first main event, and it was in Orlando. He pressured Sanchez in round one, landing to the head and body and keeping the shorter fighter at the end of his reach. Mexico’s Sanchez did not press the way the film had suggested.
That’s what I wanted. I felt like I needed to make that dominant statement and get him out of there. I didn’t say nothing, but I wanted to take it round by round. Once I knew that opportunity was there, I saw it early, and I took it.
Jones said afterward that Sanchez “came out very different from what I watched on film” and that he had been told to expect a pressure fighter. “He came out moving. I had to adjust to that quickly, and I feel like I did.”
In round two Jones took the center. With 2:25 left he landed a straight right that sent Sanchez to his corner. Sanchez crouched there. Jones followed with left hooks and straight right hands until Young stopped it. It was Jones’ first stoppage after three straight distance fights. Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane and head coach Sean Sweeney were at the fight.
Rest of the card
Jordan Orozco, now 18-0 with 18 knockouts, stopped Yusniel Abrahante, now 8-3 with 1 knockout, in the sixth round of their bantamweight fight. Abrahante was ahead early, then ate a left hook to the liver late in the sixth. Referee Luis Pabon stopped it at 2:31 of the round after Orozco trapped him on the ropes.
Donte Layne (9-0, 7 KOs) beat Keithland King (11-3, 11 KOs) by unanimous decision over eight rounds at super middleweight. The scorecards read 80-72, 80-72 and 78-74. Fidencio Hernandez (5-0, 3 KOs) beat Diego Nieves (4-1, 4 KOs) by majority decision over six at featherweight, 58-56, 58-56, 57-57.
Ronny Alvarez (8-0, 7 KOs) stopped Narciso Carmona (12-3-1, 7 KOs) in round three at super middleweight. Carmona’s corner ended it before the fourth. Jusiyah Shirley (10-1, 7 KOs) beat Kevin Castillo (6-3-1) by unanimous decision over six at junior welterweight, 60-54, 59-55 and 59-55.
Earlier on the card, Angel Hernandez (7-0, 7 KOs) knocked out Duilio Jaramillo (1-3, 1 KO) at 2:56 of round one at lightweight, and Ryan Santiago (2-0, 1 KO) beat Jesus Ivan Molina (1-1) by majority decision over four at junior bantamweight, 40-36, 39-37, 38-38.
