PUERTO RICO – Grand Rapids native Joshua Pagan overcame his toughest battle to stop power-punching Maliek Montgomery by TKO in nine brutal rounds to capture the NABO Lightweight Title.
The event co-promoted by Salita Promotions and Universal Promotions took place Friday, October 24, 2025 at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente arena in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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Pagan (14-0, 5KO’s) and Montgomery (20-2, 18 KO’s) headlined the high-stakes event with the winner securing the NABO Lightweight Title and firmly propelling themselves into world championship contender status.
Montgomery came out blazing, pressing forward behind a relentless pace and forcing Pagan to fight off the ropes early.
By the second round, the war turned when Pagan landed a sharp counter that split Montgomery’s left eye wide open — blood pouring down his face as the crowd roared.
Sensing momentum, Pagan found his rhythm, working behind a disciplined jab and precise combinations, while Montgomery battled through the blood, refusing to take a backward step.
The referee called for multiple doctor checks as the cut worsened, but Montgomery fought on, answering every exchange with fire of his own.
Pagan, composed and calculating, began breaking Montgomery down piece by piece, using range, movement, and timing to separate himself in the later rounds.
After a third inspection heading into the eighth, Montgomery was cleared to continue, but his resilience could only carry him so far.
Pagan closed the show in the ninth with a brutal uppercut that forced the referee’s hand. Before the stoppage, Judge José Torres had it 78–74, Judge Nelson Vázquez scored it 80–72, and Judge Gerardo Martínez also had it 78–74, all in favor of Pagan.
It was a statement win for Pagan and a performance that cemented him as a legitimate contender in the lightweight division.
“This title is what I’ve been training for all year and to do it before the year is over is a blessing, ” said Pagan. “Maliek is tough, and he hits hard, so I knew I had to be smart in there. I hit him with a sharp uppercut in the 2nd round that cut him and I took advantage of that. I saw the blood and it was bothering him so I just kept working it and breaking him down. I’m grateful to have won this title here in Puerto Rico, honoring my grandfather who I know is proud looking down on me right now. Thank you to everyone who came out, my friends and family, new fans, Salita Promotions and DAZN. I can’t wait to get back in the ring and continue to show the world who Joshua Pagan is.”
In the co-feature, Ashleyann Lozada (3-0, 1 KO) went the distance defeating Melissa Odessa Parker (6-4-1, 2KO’s) for the WBC Latino Super Bantamweight Title, proving why she’s quickly becoming one of Puerto Rico’s brightest prospects.
Despite entering the ring with just two professional bouts, Lozada looked poised beyond her experience, settling in early against Brooklyn’s Parker. After Parker edged the second round with well-timed counters, Lozada adjusted, using her speed and footwork to control the pace.
The exchanges grew sharper and more dangerous by the third, with both fighters landing clean hooks and body shots in close quarters.
Lozada found her rhythm by the middle rounds, beating Parker to the punch and mixing power with precision.
By the fourth, she was in complete command, walking Parker down, trading bombs, and outclassing her in every exchange. Lozada’s speed, ring IQ, and composure carried her through to a dominant unanimous decision victory in front of a roaring hometown crowd.
Fighting out of New Haven, CT, Felix Parrilla (12-0, 10 KO’s) advanced his undefeated record against Kansas City’s Kenneth Taylor (15-6-2, 6KO’s).
The junior lightweight bout was scheduled for eight rounds of action, but Parrilla’s relentless pressure on Taylor, scored a 1st round knockdown, eventually leaving Taylor to take a knee in the third forcing a TKO victory for Parrilla.
Parrilla reflected on his dominating performance:
“After the first round knockdown, I knew I had him, said Parrilla. “About the first two minutes of the first round, I already knew I had him. I was able to touch him with big shots. Early on I knew it was just a matter of time, he was either not going to get up and quit, or the referee stepping in to stop the fight. I knew I was gonna break him down with time. I didn’t think it was gonna be that fast. I was thinking, like the fifth, sixth round, but it happened early.”
Kiria Tapia (8-0, 1KO), one of Puerto Rico’s most accomplished amateur boxers, kept her professionaunbeaten streak alive with a dominating performance against Argentina’s Marianela Ramirez (13-9-2, 6KO’s) in an eight-round women’s junior lightweight showdown.
From the opening bell, Tapia dictated the pace, working inside behind slick head movement and tempo, and short snapping combinations. Ramirez, the battle-tested veteran, refused to retreat, charging forward and forcing exchanges that brought the crowd to its feet.
Tapia answered every exchange with precision, pinning Ramirez to the ropes and landing flush uppercuts through tight windows. After eight electrifying rounds, the judges scored it a unanimous decision for Tapia.
Tapia’s performance displayed a bright future for San Juan’s rising star. When asked about her performance she stated:
“I saw that I didn’t have to rush, that the punches would come calmly, so I could set them up well, ” said Tapia. “Every time I did this, I connected, and we saw that we put her in bad shape two or three times in those eight rounds. So I kept that game plan, and stayed calm to get a good punch in. We’ve shown what we can do tonight.”
The atmosphere inside the Coliseo was pure electricity filled with non-stop crowd chants throughout the arena. What began as a nod to Puerto Rico’s deep boxing roots quickly turned into a showcase of the island’s new generation of fighters stepping into their own spotlight.
From world-title hopefuls to breakout prospects, each bout carried its own storyline, and each fighter delivered in a way that reminded the sport why San Juan remains sacred ground for boxing.
“This is what BIG TIME BOXING USA is all about, ” said Dmitry Salita. “All four prospects took the right legitimate step in their careers and they were matched up accurately according to their skill level.”
“Tapia was a crowd favorite,” said Salita. “She put on a show. She has the potential to make a name for herself. Parrilla the featherweight prospect looked incredible for his TV debut. Ashleyann is only 3-0 but she’s going to be the next big thing in boxing coming out of Puerto Rico. She has the skills and the talent. Pagan vs Montgomery was everything we expected it to be. It was a good matchup. Two prospects shed blood sweat and tears for the NABO Title and ranking. Josh upgraded from prospect to contender in this fight. Really good job.”