Theophilus Kpakpo “Lopez” Allotey produced a commanding performance to defeat Argentina’s Facundo David Garcia by unanimous decision and win their WBA super flyweight world title eliminator at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra on Saturday night.
Allotey, fully aware of what was at stake, controlled the contest with impressive ring intelligence and discipline, earning identical 120–107 scores from all three judges, in front of legends the 24-year-old aspires to emulate by winning a global championship – Azumah Nelson and former WBA welterweight world champion Ike “Bazooka” Quartey, who on the night received a milestone award from the WBA for his career accomplishments.
Also present were two-time IBF bantamweight world champ Joseph King Kong Agbeko, former IBF welterweight world champion Joshua Clottey, as well as Sports Minister Kofi Iddie Adams and Ghana Boxing IMC boss Samir Captan.
The Ghanaian dominated the opening exchanges and dropped Garcia in the first round, immediately establishing his authority in the contest. Allotey repeatedly found his target with sharp combinations, although Garcia absorbed the punishment and remained determined to disrupt the Ghanaian’s rhythm.
Allotey continued to dictate the pace as the fight progressed, mixing his punches intelligently and keeping Garcia at the end of his shots. By the sixth round, the Ghanaian appeared close to forcing a stoppage after unleashing a barrage that left Garcia visibly wobbling, but the Argentine showed remarkable resilience.
Garcia refused to back down and continued pressing forward, chasing Allotey around the ring and attempting to turn the fight into a brawl. Allotey, however, displayed a high ring IQ, using his speed, movement and defence to frustrate the Argentine and avoid his most dangerous punches.
A crisp right hook in the 10th round visibly snapped Garcia’s head back, while another sustained assault in the 11th left him wobbling. Allotey followed with a variety of body shots, jabs and hooks, but Garcia somehow survived.
Knowing he needed a dramatic finish, Garcia came out aggressively in the 12th, throwing everything at Allotey. The Ghanaian remained composed, tactically navigating the final round to secure a resounding points victory.
On the undercard, Samuel “Ring Warrior” Takyi stopped Botswana’s Steven Bagwasi halfway through the second round after the referee stepped in to prevent further punishment.
Meanwhile, young Gideon Nortey stopped Yusuf Ayinde Ogunbumi of Nigeria in round two to emphasize his readiness for bigger opportunities, while Moro Inusah Kanla stopped David Okine in round three.
The heavyweight doubleheader saw Joseph “Junior Bazooka” Antwi stop Felix Mankatah in the first round at 2:22, and Nelson Awumey also secured a first-round stoppage over Jonas Quarshie at 2:36.
In the co-main event, Michael Decardi Nelson’s bout with Jerry Klutei Robertson went the distance, finishing in a split draw, 77-75, 75-77, 76-76 as the Bukom rivals settled for a share of the spoils.
The preliminary bouts saw Emmanuel Fiakpornu stop Alex Yartey in three, David Amenuveve made light work of Eric Mensah in one, while Shakul Samed TKO’ed Kofi Manu in two and Senegalese Mohammed Fall outpointed Ghana’s Samson Quaye in three dominant rounds.
