Chris Colbert and Jose Valenzuela are both professional boxers who faced each other on March 25, 2023, in a lightweight bout. The fight was part of the undercard for the main event between David Benavidez and Caleb Plant. In contrast to Valenzuela, who had a record of 13 wins, 1 loss, and 11 knockouts, Colbert came into the bout with a record of 17 wins, 1 loss, and 6 knockouts. Both boxers had their good and bad moments during the competitive fight.
The fight was a close one, with both boxers having their moments. Colbert was dropped in the second round, but he managed to recover and rocked Valenzuela in the later rounds. In the end, Colbert won the fight by an unpopular split decision, with two judges scoring the fight 115-112 in his favor, while the third judge scored it 113-114 for Valenzuela.
Valenzuela in the post-fight interview with Gray said, “I beat him, I want to thank everyone who came out here to support me. I thought I won. I was hitting him with the harder shots. I dropped him. I dominated. But it’s what it is. It’s boxing.”
When it was time for Colbert to get interviewed he told Rayo “You’re a sore loser, you lost. I’d like to thank my opponent. It was a hell of a fight. At the end of the day, I’m not the judge and I’m not a sore loser. I’m a man. I can take it on the chin like a man. He’s a sore loser. I out-boxed him and hit him with more jabs. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a man and he had his spurts. He hit me with some good shots, but then he stopped and I jabbed and I jabbed and I jabbed. He got the knockdown but it’s a 10-round fight.”
Despite the controversial decision, some observers noted that Colbert outworked Valenzuela in many rounds and landed more punches, particularly jabs and hooks. Valenzuela had low output in some rounds and appeared to get lazy at times, which may have cost him the fight. Nonetheless, some fans on social media criticized the judges’ scorecards and thought Valenzuela deserved to win or at least get a draw.
Overall, the fight between Colbert and Valenzuela was a competitive and entertaining bout that showcased the skills and heart of both fighters. Although the result was not universally popular, it was a significant win for Colbert, who considered it the most important fight of his career.
