Tag: Michael Coffie

Jonathan Rice dominates, stops Michael Coffie in Round 5

Jonathan Rice dominated and then stopped Michael Coffie in Round 5 of their heavyweight fight Saturday in Newark, N.J.

Jonathan Rice took full advantage of his opportunity on Saturday night in Newark, N.J.

The late replacement as Michael Coffie’s opponent outboxed, outworked and finally knocked out the previously unbeaten Coffie in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight fight.

Rice, who replaced Gerald Washington, was an afterthought going into the fight. The South Carolinian had lost his previous two fights, including a wide decision against heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba last September.

And while Coffie was a latecomer to boxing – he turned pro at 31 – he was coming off a string of dominating performances, which is why he was favored to win on Saturday.

Rice didn’t follow the script. Instead, he played the part of a sharpshooter, firing off quick, hard shots at the flatfooted Coffie at a high rate from the opening bell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KETP8LB4ADs

Coffie, a powerful puncher, absorbed Rice’s blows for a while and threw some big punches of his own. However, he couldn’t begin to keep pace with Rice.

By Round 5, Coffie had begun to break down. About halfway through the round Rice unleashed a vicious flurry of shots that found the mark and hurt Coffie, who suddenly had difficulty defending himself.

At that point, referee Eric Dali stepped in to save Coffie (12-1, 9 KOs) from further punishment. The official time of the stoppage was 2:19 of the fifth round.

Rice (14-6-1, 10 KOs) has quite a way to go before he can be considered a title challenger but he took a big step on Saturday.

“I wasn’t a late replacement,” said Rice, 34. “I was waiting for an opportunity. We replaced someone, but we weren’t late. We were right on time. I was training every day. I was training with Michael Hunter. I did 20 rounds, 10 and 10 last Friday before I got the call. So when I got the call, I was ready. …

“I want it all. I want what every boxer wants. I want to be world champion. I understand that my record doesn’t say that, but I want the world to watch my progress. I’m not in the right mind to be calling people out. I’m just going to be ready for the opportunity and when it comes I’m going to answer the call.

“I’m going to get as much money for it as I can. And you know one thing, I’m going to put on a show.”

Rice stepped in as Coffie’s opponent after Washington tested positive for COVID-19.

Jonathan Rice dominates, stops Michael Coffie in Round 5

Jonathan Rice dominated and then stopped Michael Coffie in Round 5 of their heavyweight fight Saturday in Newark, N.J.

Jonathan Rice took full advantage of his opportunity on Saturday night in Newark, N.J.

The late replacement as Michael Coffie’s opponent outboxed, outworked and finally knocked out the previously unbeaten Coffie in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight fight.

Rice, who replaced Gerald Washington, was an afterthought going into the fight. The South Carolinian had lost his previous two fights, including a wide decision against heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba last September.

And while Coffie was a latecomer to boxing – he turned pro at 31 – he was coming off a string of dominating performances, which is why he was favored to win on Saturday.

Rice didn’t follow the script. Instead, he played the part of a sharpshooter, firing off quick, hard shots at the flatfooted Coffie at a high rate from the opening bell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KETP8LB4ADs

Coffie, a powerful puncher, absorbed Rice’s blows for a while and threw some big punches of his own. However, he couldn’t begin to keep pace with Rice.

By Round 5, Coffie had begun to break down. About halfway through the round Rice unleashed a vicious flurry of shots that found the mark and hurt Coffie, who suddenly had difficulty defending himself.

At that point, referee Eric Dali stepped in to save Coffie (12-1, 9 KOs) from further punishment. The official time of the stoppage was 2:19 of the fifth round.

Rice (14-6-1, 10 KOs) has quite a way to go before he can be considered a title challenger but he took a big step on Saturday.

“I wasn’t a late replacement,” said Rice, 34. “I was waiting for an opportunity. We replaced someone, but we weren’t late. We were right on time. I was training every day. I was training with Michael Hunter. I did 20 rounds, 10 and 10 last Friday before I got the call. So when I got the call, I was ready. …

“I want it all. I want what every boxer wants. I want to be world champion. I understand that my record doesn’t say that, but I want the world to watch my progress. I’m not in the right mind to be calling people out. I’m just going to be ready for the opportunity and when it comes I’m going to answer the call.

“I’m going to get as much money for it as I can. And you know one thing, I’m going to put on a show.”

Rice stepped in as Coffie’s opponent after Washington tested positive for COVID-19.

Fight Week: Michael Coffie to face Jonathan Rice, Conor Benn in action

Fight Week: Heavyweight contender Michael Coffie will face Gerald Washington, and Conor Benn returns on a busy Saturday.

FIGHT WEEK

HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER MICHAEL COFFIE WILL FACE late replacement jonathan rice, AND CONOR BENN RETURNS AGAINST ADRIAN GRANADOS ON A BUSY SATURDAY.

***

MICHAEL COFFIE (12-0, 9 KOs)
VS. JONATHAN RICE (13-6-1, 9 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fFvFomzKdo

  • When: Saturday, July 31
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • TV/Stream: Fox
  • Division: Heavyweight
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Paul Kroll vs. Justin DeLoach, welterweights; James Martin vs. Vito Mielnicki Jr., welterweight; Joey Spencer vs. Dan Karpency, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: Coffie KO 8
  • Background: Coffie, 35, got off to a late start because he spent eight years in the Marine Corps but has made an impression since turning pro in 2017. The resident of Brooklyn, who has sparred regularly with Deontay Wilder, is massive (6-foot-5, around 270 pounds) but also quick and athletic. And he’s developing into a good boxer. He’s coming off his most-important victory, a third-round knockout of previously unbeaten Darmani Rock this past January. That was his first scheduled 10-rounder. Coffie was supposed to have fought veteran Gerald Washington on Saturday but Washington had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19. Rice, a 34-year-old journeyman from Los Angeles, is coming off back-to-back losses to Australian prospect Demsey McKean (TKO 10) and Efe Ajagba (UD) in March and September of last year. Nine of his 13 victories have come by knockout, which seems to indicate that he has power. And he is about the same size as Coffie in terms of both height and weight.

***

CONOR BENN (18-0, 12 KOs)
VS. ADRIAN GRANADOS (21-8-3, 15 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8U9pxZXLF4

  • When: Saturday, July 31
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • TV/Stream: Fox
  • Division: Heavyweight
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Benn 12-1 (average from multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Xu Can vs. Leigh Wood, featherweights; Tommy McCarthy vs. Chris Billam-Smith, cruiserweights; Jack Cullen vs. Avni Yildrim, super middleweights; Anthony Fowler vs. Roberto Garcia, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: Benn KO 9
  • Background: Benn, the son of former two-division champion Nigel Benn, is ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies and closing in on his first title shot. The 24-year-old from Essex, England, had a short amateur career (a reported 22 fights) but has developed into a good boxer-puncher. He’s coming off back-to-back victories over second-tier veterans Sebastian Formella (UD 10) and Samel Vargas (TKO 1), the latter bout having taken place in April. Granados, 31, might be a small step above those opponents. The rugged Southern Californian is only 1-2-1 in his last four fights — including a draw with Jose Luis Sanchez in May — but he’s a solid boxer who fights hard. And he has come up short primarily against elite opponents, including Adrien Broner, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Robert Easter Jr. Granados would be a nice stepping stone for Benn in his pursuit of a championship.

***

Also fighting this weekend: Knockout artist Eduardo Nunez (21-1, 21 KOS) takes on Jonathan Aguilar (20-10, 15 KOs) in a featherweight bout Thursday in Los Mochis, Mexico (UFC Fight Pass); and Erick Leon faces Juan Marces Rodriguez in a junior welterweight bout Friday in Mexico City (Estrella TV).

 

Fight Week: Michael Coffie to face Jonathan Rice, Conor Benn in action

Fight Week: Heavyweight contender Michael Coffie will face Gerald Washington, and Conor Benn returns on a busy Saturday.

FIGHT WEEK

HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER MICHAEL COFFIE WILL FACE late replacement jonathan rice, AND CONOR BENN RETURNS AGAINST ADRIAN GRANADOS ON A BUSY SATURDAY.

***

MICHAEL COFFIE (12-0, 9 KOs)
VS. JONATHAN RICE (13-6-1, 9 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fFvFomzKdo

  • When: Saturday, July 31
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • TV/Stream: Fox
  • Division: Heavyweight
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Paul Kroll vs. Justin DeLoach, welterweights; James Martin vs. Vito Mielnicki Jr., welterweight; Joey Spencer vs. Dan Karpency, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: Coffie KO 8
  • Background: Coffie, 35, got off to a late start because he spent eight years in the Marine Corps but has made an impression since turning pro in 2017. The resident of Brooklyn, who has sparred regularly with Deontay Wilder, is massive (6-foot-5, around 270 pounds) but also quick and athletic. And he’s developing into a good boxer. He’s coming off his most-important victory, a third-round knockout of previously unbeaten Darmani Rock this past January. That was his first scheduled 10-rounder. Coffie was supposed to have fought veteran Gerald Washington on Saturday but Washington had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19. Rice, a 34-year-old journeyman from Los Angeles, is coming off back-to-back losses to Australian prospect Demsey McKean (TKO 10) and Efe Ajagba (UD) in March and September of last year. Nine of his 13 victories have come by knockout, which seems to indicate that he has power. And he is about the same size as Coffie in terms of both height and weight.

***

CONOR BENN (18-0, 12 KOs)
VS. ADRIAN GRANADOS (21-8-3, 15 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8U9pxZXLF4

  • When: Saturday, July 31
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • TV/Stream: Fox
  • Division: Heavyweight
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Benn 12-1 (average from multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Xu Can vs. Leigh Wood, featherweights; Tommy McCarthy vs. Chris Billam-Smith, cruiserweights; Jack Cullen vs. Avni Yildrim, super middleweights; Anthony Fowler vs. Roberto Garcia, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: Benn KO 9
  • Background: Benn, the son of former two-division champion Nigel Benn, is ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies and closing in on his first title shot. The 24-year-old from Essex, England, had a short amateur career (a reported 22 fights) but has developed into a good boxer-puncher. He’s coming off back-to-back victories over second-tier veterans Sebastian Formella (UD 10) and Samel Vargas (TKO 1), the latter bout having taken place in April. Granados, 31, might be a small step above those opponents. The rugged Southern Californian is only 1-2-1 in his last four fights — including a draw with Jose Luis Sanchez in May — but he’s a solid boxer who fights hard. And he has come up short primarily against elite opponents, including Adrien Broner, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Robert Easter Jr. Granados would be a nice stepping stone for Benn in his pursuit of a championship.

***

Also fighting this weekend: Knockout artist Eduardo Nunez (21-1, 21 KOS) takes on Jonathan Aguilar (20-10, 15 KOs) in a featherweight bout Thursday in Los Mochis, Mexico (UFC Fight Pass); and Erick Leon faces Juan Marces Rodriguez in a junior welterweight bout Friday in Mexico City (Estrella TV).

 

Michael Coffie puts Darmani Rock away in third round

Heavyweight Michael Coffie put Darmani Rock down twice and stopped him in the third round on the Caleb Plant-Caleb Truax card Saturday.

Michael Coffie made a nice statement on a big stage.

The heavyweight prospect, who turned pro at 29, put Darmani Rock down twice and knocked him out 59 seconds into Round 3 of a scheduled 10-round bout on the Caleb Plant-Caleb Truax card Saturday in Los Angeles.

Coffie (12-0, 9 KOs) was a little busier than Rock (17-1, 12 KOs) in the first round. And the former Marine won the second in part by getting the better of inside exchanges.

The New Yorker exploded in the third. A left uppercut put Rock down and hurt him about 20 seconds into the round. He got to his feet at around the count of 9 was continued.

However, moments later a left hook to Rock’s temple put him down again. Referee Jack Reiss reached the count of seven and then stopped the fight

Coffie, a hulking 6-foot-5, 270¼ pounds, has yet to be ranked but he knows where he wants to end up.

“I’m trying to get someone above Darmani Rock,” he said afterward. “I want that person. After that, I want somebody else who is above him … and above him and so on and so forth.

“Whatever is going to get me to a world title.”

[lawrence-related id=17413]

Michael Coffie puts Darmani Rock away in third round

Heavyweight Michael Coffie put Darmani Rock down twice and stopped him in the third round on the Caleb Plant-Caleb Truax card Saturday.

Michael Coffie made a nice statement on a big stage.

The heavyweight prospect, who turned pro at 29, put Darmani Rock down twice and knocked him out 59 seconds into Round 3 of a scheduled 10-round bout on the Caleb Plant-Caleb Truax card Saturday in Los Angeles.

Coffie (12-0, 9 KOs) was a little busier than Rock (17-1, 12 KOs) in the first round. And the former Marine won the second in part by getting the better of inside exchanges.

The New Yorker exploded in the third. A left uppercut put Rock down and hurt him about 20 seconds into the round. He got to his feet at around the count of 9 was continued.

However, moments later a left hook to Rock’s temple put him down again. Referee Jack Reiss reached the count of seven and then stopped the fight

Coffie, a hulking 6-foot-5, 270¼ pounds, has yet to be ranked but he knows where he wants to end up.

“I’m trying to get someone above Darmani Rock,” he said afterward. “I want that person. After that, I want somebody else who is above him … and above him and so on and so forth.

“Whatever is going to get me to a world title.”

[lawrence-related id=17413]