Baez (25-8-2, 10 KOs) had early success, landing the cleaner shots and taking advantage of Hovhannisyan’s slower start as he adjusted. The fight became more physical as it progressed, with Hovhannisyan being warned for rabbit punches and going low more than once, while Baez held his own and exchanged close range.
Once Hovhannisyan adjusted to that arm issue, he really took control of the geography of the ring.
Even though Baez has landed sporadically, the judges almost always favor the guy who moves forward and forces the action. Hovhannisyan’s pressure made Baez look like he was fighting to survive rather than fighting to win.
Baez got off to a solid start, but seemed to fade away just as Hovhannisyan got his second wind. In a close ten-round contest, the judges’ “recent bias” often kicks in, meaning those strong closing rounds were more important to Azat than Baez’s early success.
Hovhannisyan (23-6, 17 KOs) found his best work with the right hand, landing clean shots in the middle rounds and even taunting Baez in the sixth after landing a punch. The exchanges remained competitive rather than settling into a sustained brawl, but Hovhannisyan’s pressure and more striking strikes gave him the edge on two scorecards.
The ninth round included another low shot from Hovhannisyan, though he closed stronger, pressing the action and landing the more striking shots down the stretch. That late activity helped him separate just enough to secure the decision in what registered as a minor upset on the betting.
While Hovhannisyan was limited to one arm for stretches, the right hands he did land were much more noticeable. Baez’s work was cleaner early, but it didn’t have the impact needed to keep a surging Hovhannisyan off him.
It’s a classic case of the betting favorite being technically sound but worked out by a guy with more grit. Calling it an upset feels like a bit of a stretch when one fighter is clearly dictating the terms for the entire second half of the fight.
Hovhannisyan improved to 23-6 (17 KOs) with the win, giving him a second straight win after a three-fight skid. Baez fell to 25-8-2 (10 KOs) after a steady effort that kept him competitive over the full ten rounds, but he couldn’t do enough to hold off the late push.
