11 November 2013, 20:22
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Darchinyan, Martirosyan, both fall in respective bouts

In a rematch of a 2007 fight in Bridgeport, Connecticut, 37-year-old Vic Darchinyan seemed ready avenge the loss that cost him the IBF flyweight title, but 31-year-old Filipino star Nonito Donaire floored him twice in the eighth round. Donaire improved to 32-2 with his 20th knockout, and Darchinyan fell to 39-6-1.

"We were doing great up until that point," Darchinyan said. "I felt I was winning the fight. He caught me with a few shots and that's just the way it goes."

Donaire connected on more than half of his power punches. He had surgery on his right shoulder after his most recent fight, a loss by decision to Guillermo Rigondeaux.

"Vic hit me hard and it felt like he broke my jaw earlier in the fight and all I was thinking was, 'I'm going to lose,'" Donaire said. "But I continued fighting and found an opportunity to land a great shot."

Demetrius Andrade, from Providence, Rhode Island, won the vacant WBO junior middleweight title, outpointing Armenian-born Vanes Martirosyan in a split decision.

Andrade improved to 20-0, and Martirosyan dropped to 33-1-1.

"We stuck to our game plan, which was jab, jab, jab," Andrade said. "We weren't prepared for the fast knockdown and we had to play a little catch-up after that."

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