Until now, Palacios has been developing quietly. The 24-year-old from Mexico was largely unknown outside small circles, with limited footage available and a record built against modest opposition. His recent wins have come against fighters with mixed records, offering little indication of how he would respond once the level rises.
Against Segawa, Palacios showed he belonged. From the opening rounds he carried himself with composure and control, choosing his moments rather than hasty exchanges. He kept his man at close range and chose his moments without rushing.
Palacios often kept his gloves low, trusted his reflexes, and used his shoulder and forearms to push Segawa off balance and disrupt his rhythm.
Segawa entered the fight as a proven test. The Maryland-based fighter came in at 18-5-1 and was widely considered better than his record suggested. He pushed Bruce ‘Shu Shu’ Carrington to a close decision in 2024 and rebounded with a win over Bryan Acosta, whose only other loss was to Ramon Cardenas.
Segawa stayed busy throughout, looking for openings and gradually finding success, including the swelling of Palacios under the left eye. Yet it was consistently difficult to break through. Palacios wasn’t elusive in a flashy sense, but he was compact and disciplined, making Segawa work for every clean connection.
In the final rounds, both men traded more freely at close range. Palacios showed he can get involved when needed while maintaining his defensive form. When the scores were read, he improved to 19-0-1 with 10 knockouts and moved himself into the bigger picture at 126 pounds.
For Sulaiman Segawa, the loss is now a clear setback. He has rebuilt before, but this defeat puts him further out of contention and leaves his position more precarious than it was going into the night.
