Luan Medeiros won his fight at Spaten Fight Night 3. Photo: Press Release / Spaten
Luan Medeiros made his rival, Juan Cruz, look like an amateur in the Spaten Fight Night 3 ring. The Brazilian dominated the distance from the start of the fight and, with a wide variety of jabs, straights, crosses, and body shots, controlled the Argentinian for eight rounds. In the end, Luan was declared the winner by unanimous decision of the judges and won the South American lightweight title (up to 61,2 kg).
The victory at Spaten Fight Night 3 represents, in addition to the title, the eighth professional win for Luan Medeiros, who maintains his undefeated record in the noble art.
Luan Medeiros dominates the start and forces Juan Cruz to retreat.
Luan Medeiros started by dominating the center of the ring and forcing Juan Cruz to retreat with his jabs. After cornering the Argentinian, the Brazilian landed a powerful straight punch to the chest, causing his opponent to stagger backward. Amidst numerous feints, Luan also capitalized on Juan's approach to land a cross in the final seconds.
The second round began with Juan Cruz being more aggressive, but Luan Medeiros quickly regained control of the action. The Brazilian started working his straight punches, crosses with his lead hand, and hooks to the body effectively, strikes that began to wear down the Argentinian.
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Luan returned for the third round even more determined to control the fight. With good dodges against his opponent's attacks and feints to keep him uncomfortable, the Brazilian continued to vary his strikes between the body and the head, keeping Juan under control.
Aware that he had the advantage, Luan chose to control the distance and reduce the volume of attacks in the fourth round. Juan, in turn, also began to circle the ring looking for a counter-punch that could change the course of the fight, but the decisive blow just wouldn't come.
In the fifth round, Juan Cruz returned determined to go for the knockout. With more heart than technique, the Argentinian went on the offensive with crosses and overhands that even startled the Brazilian. Luan, in turn, relied on counter-attacks to avoid exposing himself to his opponent's attacks.
The sixth and seventh rounds saw Luan Medeiros back in control. The Brazilian forced the Argentinian to retreat, and, cornered, Juan looked for counter-punches that rarely found their target.
Luan maps Juan Cruz and neutralizes the change in strategy.
Luan Medeiros made it clear that he had mapped out Juan Cruz in the eighth round. The Argentinian opted for open crosses, but ended up being punished by several counter punches. Realizing the difficulty in finding the Brazilian, 'El Diablo' changed his stance in an attempt to confuse Luan.
The strategy, however, was ineffective. Even in the following rounds, Luan Medeiros continued to land the best strikes and control the distance, preventing Juan Cruz from imposing his game.
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