Video: Francisco Vargas talks Juan Ma at post fight presser

Francisco Vargas defeated Juan Manuel Lopez via TKO when Lopez’s corner stopped the bout after a vicious third round.

In a round of the year candidate, Vargas (20-0-1, 14 KOs) and Lopez exchanged shots in brutal back and forth action in the third stanza. Seemingly never in a dull fight, Lopez was knocked down with 20 seconds to go in the third after eating a huge right hand. Lopez got up and continued to press, but ate another big shot in the closing seconds and was dazed as he walked back to his corner.

Lopez (34-4, 31 KOs), who won by KO or was stopped in 11 of his 12 world title fights, wanted to continue but his corner decided to stop the contest.