David Diaz vs. Humberto Soto

ARLINGTON, March 13, 2010 - Chicago boxer David Diaz faces off against Humberto Soto.  Diaz sustains a small cut above the eye early on in the first round.  Soto gets a knockdown on Diaz, catching him with two hooks with a little less than 45 seconds left in the first round and the round goes to Soto.

Both fighters begin the second round feinting and feeling each other out.  Soto is a fan of the overhand then uppercut combination.  Soto's punches seem tighter and slightly snappier than southpaw, Diaz.

Both fighters throw quick punches with good head movement.  Diaz briefly has Soto's back against the ropes, but he moves out before Diaz can capitalize.

Soto is four points in the lead entering the fourth round.  Soto has the reach advantage on Diaz, who's cut above his right eye still seems troubling.  Soto and Diaz don't engage often, throwing mainly one or two punches at a time in between moving and feinting.  Soto catches Diaz with two shots right before the bell.

Both fighters engage more at the beginning of the fifth round.  Diaz gets caught breifly on the ropes and takes a good combination from Soto before moving out.  Diaz catches Soto with a straight punch occasionally and gets Soto against the ropes right before the bell.

Diaz gets Soto in the corner briefly in the sixth round.  Soto seems to be throwing more combinations, although they are only two or three punch combinations.  At the end of the round both fighters engage briefly, each getting off a good combination.

The scorecards still have Soto in the lead entering the seventh round.  Diaz gets Soto against the ropes again, but does not hold him there.  Soto gets Diaz with a good right just before the bell.

The eighth round begins much like the previous rounds.  Although Soto appears to be winning the match thus far, Diaz is holding his own. 

In the ninth round Diaz gets Soto against the ropes at the top of the round but is pulled away for allegedly throwing an elbow.  Both are landing the occasional clean punch right to the target, but Soto again seems to be putting more combinations together.  Diaz again gets Soto against the ropes and lands some good shots.  Diaz and Soto trade another good combination each.  Both fighters look better this round.  Diaz gets Soto against the ropes again just before the bell.

Diaz enters the tenth round with a slight gain from his previous rounds and Soto slips early on in the round.  Diaz is landing good body shots this round and is decreasing Soto's lead.  Soto appears to be more defensive, probably as a result of Diaz's body shots.  Soto oddly goes through the ropes and the ref has to break the fighters briefly to free him.  Both fight closer this round.  Diaz does not seem tried, but Soto seems slightly winded.  Soto still gets off a good exchange with Diaz just before the end of the round.

In the eleventh round both fighters again get off a few one-two shots on each other.  Diaz again gets Soto against the ropes and both land good shots.  Soto seems more tired at the end of the round, Diaz seems energized with one round to go, although Soto seems to have won many of the early rounds.

The twelfth round begins with announcers saying Diaz is down by two rounds.  Diaz gets Soto with a low shot early in the round but both come back and exchange fiercely in the center of the ring upon commencement of the fight.  Both fighters are giving and taking good shots.  Both fighters finally appear tired.  Diaz slips and falls with about twenty seconds to ten end of the round and both exchange flurries of punches entering the last ten seconds, ending when Soto finally knocks Diaz down a final time.  Although both were throwing hard punches, but Soto landed more clean blows.

The fight goes to Humberto Soto by unanimous decision.  Both fighters gave a good fight.