Mike Coppinger says the Nevada State Athletic Commission has ruled there was no foul in Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela’s controversial second-round knockout of Edwin De Los Santos after reviewing the finish from multiple camera angles.
“I spoke to Jeff Mullen, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. He said they reviewed footage from multiple angles, and they determined that the punch that landed grazed the chin and really connected to the shoulder and definitely had no impact on the result of the fight. De Los Santos was basically out from the punch [right hook] that was legal. So, no foul there whatsoever and everything is clean,” Coppinger said on X.
The finish immediately became one of the biggest talking points from Sunday’s Zuffa Boxing event at the Chelsea Ballroom inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Valenzuela threw a left hand after De Los Santos had already dropped to the canvas, leading many fans to argue the follow-up blow should have resulted in a disqualification rather than a knockout victory.
The commission disagreed. After reviewing multiple replay angles, officials determined the decisive punch was the legal right hook that initially floored De Los Santos. They concluded the follow-up shot primarily struck the shoulder while only grazing the chin and had no impact on the outcome of the lightweight contest.
Many fans remain unconvinced. While the commission focused on whether the punch changed the result, critics argue the follow-up blow itself was illegal because it was thrown after De Los Santos was already on the canvas and unable to defend himself. They believe that action alone should have resulted in a disqualification or, at minimum, disciplinary action instead of allowing the knockout to stand.
The victory improved the former WBA light welterweight champion Valenzuela’s record to 16-3 (10 KOs) and marked his second straight win since losing his 140-pound title to Gary Antuanne Russell in March 2025. De Los Santos dropped to 17-3 (15 KOs) after competing for just the second time since his unanimous decision loss to Shakur Stevenson in November 2023.
Despite the lingering debate among fans, the commission’s review means the result will stand, with no further action expected.
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Last Updated on 2026/06/29 at 4:45 PM
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