Michel Rivera KOs Jon Fernandez with one punch in round 8 (Video)

Michel Rivera vs. Jon Fernandez on the undercard of Chris Colbert vs. Tugstsogt Nyambayar came in waves but finished with a tidal wave for Rivera. 

Lightweight contender Michel Rivera impressed early against Jon Fernandez on the undercard of the July 3 Showtime Chris Colbert vs. Tugstsogt Nyambayar fight card. However, Fernandez came to life midway through the bout, but Rivera shut that down with a thundering right hand in round 8 that turned out Fernandez’s lights.

Rivera (21-0, 14 KOs) defeated Fernandez with a fantastic one-punch knockout in their WBA lightweight title eliminator. At 5-foot-11, Fernandez had a 3-inch height advantage over Rivera, but Rivera’s hand speed made all the difference throughout the fight.

Rivera made Fernandez look like he was boxing in slow-motion for the first few rounds. He goes by the nickname ‘Ali’ due to his physical resemblance and fighting style that mimics Muhammad Ali.

Michel Rivera survived a round 6 knockdown to later knock out Jon Fernandez on Showtime

Rivera danced around the ring and peppered Fernandez with punches, but he got too comfortable in round 6 when Fernandez knocked down Rivera. Rivera got to his feet but held for the remainder of the round showing he was hurt.

Rivera recovered in the next round, but Fernandez was landing with more regularity. Then, Rivera set Fernandez up with a one-two combination in round 8. Rivera’s straight right hand stopped Fernandez in his tracks and made him fall back to the canvas.

Fernandez was conscious but dazed and confused. He couldn’t make it to his feet, and the fight was over.

Fernandez came into the contest with a better knockout rating than Rivera, but Rivera’s power won out and got the attention of the fans at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. He keeps his perfect record and is a top contender in the WBA rankings.

Michel Rivera vs. Jon Fernandez took place on Saturday, July 3, from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Follow along with FanSided for all your live news and highlights.