Johnny Fisher survives tough Zuffa Boxing debut

Pirotton pushes Fisher to a majority decision

Johnny Fisher secured the victory he desperately needed last night, but his Zuffa Boxing debut was much tougher than the result suggests. Michael Pirotton held his own very well over all ten rounds and turned Johnny Fisher’s very strong performance into nothing more than a majority-decision victory.

The judges scored the fight 98–92 and 96–95 in favor of Johnny Fisher, while the third judge scored it a draw at 95–95. Johnny Fisher started out very aggressively and landed several right hands as well as left hooks. His harder punches and higher activity level ultimately paid off, as he clearly took control by the middle rounds. It was then that Michael Pirotton suffered an eye injury when his eye was cut open and swelled slightly. The doctor checked it several times but each time declared him fit to continue. In the later rounds, Johnny Fisher eventually became visibly exhausted. His punch output decreased, and his footwork wasn’t quite as sharp as before. As a result, Michael Pirotton landed a few shots that he hadn’t been able to land earlier in the fight. The knockout that many had expected didn’t happen, as Michael Pirotton really pushed the favorite to his limits. While Johnny Fisher’s debut was fundamentally successful, it might take a little more time before he can take the next step up. What do you think?

I think Michael Pirotton's performance is what we should be talking about here. Johnny Fisher put in a rock-solid fight, and if his opponent hadn't defended so well, it could have ended in a knockout in the early rounds. I'm really curious to see what the future holds for both of them.