William Zepeda Outworks Lamont Roach Jr. to Claim WBC Lightweight Championship

William Zepeda delivered the performance of his career Saturday night, overwhelming Lamont Roach Jr. with relentless pressure to earn a unanimous decision victory and capture the vacant WBC lightweight championship at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.

From the opening bell, Zepeda showcased his trademark high-volume offense, keeping Roach on the defensive with nonstop combinations and constant forward pressure. Although Roach found success at times with sharp counter right hands, he was unable to slow the pace or consistently capitalize on his opportunities.

After 12 competitive rounds, the judges scored the bout 117-111, 117-111, and 118-110 in favor of Zepeda, improving his record to 34-1 with 27 knockouts. According to the official punch statistics, Zepeda landed 218 of 884 punches thrown, while Roach connected on 153 of 591.

The victory marks Zepeda's first major world title and completes an impressive comeback after suffering the first defeat of his professional career against Shakur Stevenson in July 2025.

"Against Shakur, it was an exam I couldn't pass," Zepeda said after the fight through an interpreter. "It was humbling, but we took the time to improve, worked on our weaknesses, and came back stronger. Now we're champions."

The WBC lightweight title became vacant after Stevenson moved up to the junior welterweight division, where he captured the WBO title with a victory over Teofimo Lopez earlier this year.

Looking ahead, Zepeda made it clear that his ambitions extend beyond one championship belt.

"I don't care who it is or when it is," Zepeda said. "Put him in front of me, and I'm going to beat him."

Roach, now 25-2-3 (10 KOs), entered the fight looking to bounce back after consecutive majority draws against Gervonta "Tank" Davis and Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz in 2025. While he had moments of success and landed several clean right hands throughout the contest, he was unable to put together sustained offense as Zepeda's relentless work rate controlled the fight.

"We knew we had to watch out for that right hand," Zepeda said. "We respected every punch he threw and were prepared for every counter."

Muratalla Dominates Co-Main Event

In the co-main event, IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla successfully defended his title with a dominant unanimous decision victory over former WBC junior lightweight champion Robson Conceição.

Muratalla controlled the action from start to finish, using his speed, accuracy, and pressure to outclass the veteran challenger over 12 rounds. The judges scored the fight 118-110, 119-109, and 119-109.

Now 25-0 with 17 knockouts, Muratalla announced after the victory that he intends to vacate his IBF lightweight title and move up to the 140-pound division to pursue world champions in a new weight class.

The championship doubleheader also featured open scoring, with the judges' scorecards revealed after the fourth and eighth rounds, giving fans and fighters a clear picture of how the bouts were unfolding before the final bell.