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Unbeaten Mexican Zepeda Wins Interim WBC Title

Regis Prograis Drops Zepeda In Round 1; Zepeda Drops Prograis In Round 2

In a back-and-forth battle, Jose Zepeda stopped Regis Prograis in the 11th round Saturday night to win the WBC's interim welterweight title at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.

Zepeda (36-2, 27 KOs), who was dropped in the opening round, rallied to drop Prograis (28-2, 24 KOs) twice in the second round. Neither fighter went down again until the 11th round, when Zepeda put Prograis down for the final time with a right uppercut and left hook.

Prograis, the former WBA champion, was fighting for the first time since losing his title to Josh Taylor in October 2021. Zepeda, meanwhile, was coming off a fifth-round knockout of Josue Vargas in October.

Zepeda Wins WBC Interim Welterweight Title

With the victory, Zepeda becomes the mandatory challenger for WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.

Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) is scheduled to face Keith Thurman in a unification bout on April 16.

Zepeda, 34, is a veteran of 38 fights. He has only lost twice, both times by split decision.

Prograis Suffers Second Career Loss

For Prograis, 33, the loss is his second in a row. He is now 0-2 since losing to Taylor.

Prograis is one of the most talented fighters in the welterweight division. He is a former world champion and has wins over some of the best fighters in the division, including Juan Jose Velasco and Juan Heraldez.

However, Prograis has also shown some vulnerability in recent fights. He was dropped by Taylor in the fifth round of their fight and was knocked down twice by Zepeda in the second round of their fight.

What's Next for Zepeda and Prograis?

Zepeda is now the mandatory challenger for Spence. However, it is unclear when he will get his title shot.

Spence is scheduled to face Thurman in a unification bout on April 16. If Spence wins, he could face Zepeda later this year.

Prograis will need to rebound from this loss if he wants to get another title shot. He could face another top contender in the welterweight division, such as Vergil Ortiz Jr. or Jaron Ennis.