Jose Valenzuela knocks out Edwin De Los Santos in two rounds, avenges 2022 loss at Zuffa Boxing 08

Their first meeting in September 2022 was a dramatic slugfest. Valenzuela landed an early takedown, but De Los Santos recovered with multiple takedowns of his own before forcing a third-round stoppage from the previously undefeated southpaw.

The rematch promised another firefight, and both fighters immediately looked to trade heavy shots from the opening bell. Valenzuela boxed patiently from his southpaw stance as De Los Santos pressed forward in search of his trademark power.

The fight came to an abrupt end in the second round.

Valenzuela uncorked a crushing right hook that landed squarely on De Los Santos’ chin, sending him heavily to the canvas. When De Los Santos fell, Valenzuela landed an additional punch while his opponent was already down, but referee Thomas Taylor did not intervene or issue a warning. The fight was called off moments later with De Los Santos unable to continue.

The knockout completed Valenzuela’s revenge mission in emphatic fashion and provided one of the fastest finishes to the Zuffa Boxing series to date.

While the bout was promoted as guaranteed action based on the first fight, the rematch ended before either fighter had a chance to build sustained momentum. De Los Santos seemed to struggle with his timing early, while Valenzuela immediately made him pay with a perfectly placed counter.

For Valenzuela, the victory closed the chapter on one of the most damaging losses of his career and restored his standing in the lightweight division with a highlight reel finish.