Eimantas Stanionis vs. Luis Collazo ends in disappointing clash of heads

Eimantas Stanionis was having his way with veteran Luis Collazo, but an accidental clash of heads in round 4 ended the fight as a no-contest. 

Eimantas Stanionis is a young welterweight boxer on the rise. He fought veteran Luis Collazo in the PBC on FOX main event on Aug. 7, but an accidental clash of heads resulted in a no-contest.

Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs), 26, originally from Lithuania, is an amateur standout trying to enter the elite ranks of boxing’s welterweight division. An impressive win against Collazo would have helped, but a fast start was extinguished after his head collided with Collazo’s in round 4.

Collazo got the worst of the collision and went down to the canvas on impact. He was seeing stars and couldn’t continue, which resulted in the no-contest decision.

Collazo (39-8, 20 KOs), 40, from Riverview, Florida, is a former titleholder known for his straightforward entertaining style. His desire to go toe-to-toe has also resulted in cuts and injuries during fights.

A no-contest brought Eimantas Stanionis vs. Luis Collazo to an early and unsatisfying end

Collazo hadn’t fought since 2019 before meeting Stanionis at The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He lost a technical decision to Kudratillo Abdukakhorov after suffering a cut from a headbutt.

Collazo’s southpaw stance makes headbutts a common occurrence against orthodox fighters. He’s likely headed for retirement after his latest setback.

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Before his injury, Collazo was taking a beating from the younger Stanionis. According to CompuBox statistics, Stanionis out-landed Collazo by 54 punches in just four incomplete rounds. Collazo’s left eye started to swell after the first round, and his face showed marks before the final injury.

Collazo kept coming forward during the fight and showed no quit. His punches were inaccurate, but he kept giving it his all until the end.

Collazo looked aged. His past wars combined with his age have him far past his prime. Stanionis, on the other hand, is just getting started but will have to look for another bout to serve as his signature win.