Filipino pugilist Weljon Mindoro is unbeaten no more.
The Zamboanga del Sur native, who is being eyed as a possible replacement for Eumir Marcial in the Asian Games, lost on Sunday to Mexican Carlos Ocampo via ninth‑round TKO in their 10‑round non‑title catchweight bout at the Galen Center in California, United States. The loss dropped Mindoro to 17‑1‑1 while improving Ocampo’s ledger to 39‑4 with 27 KOs.
Weljon Mindoro Dominates Early
The defeat is a bitter pill to swallow for Mindoro, the 26‑year‑old rising star who was looking to step up his level with a win over the grizzled Mexican, who has fought former world champions Errol Spence Jr. and Tim Tszyu. For a while, the Filipino appeared on his way to a spectacular triumph that would have raised his profile immensely.
After a slow start both ways, Mindoro began opening up in the third, stalking Ocampo and repeatedly connecting on thudding shots to the head. He even cut Ocampo over the right eye with a solid right hand before hammering him with an uppercut to the body. Mindoro continued to press the former title challenger up until the seventh, when he hurt Ocampo with an uppercut to the head.
Carlos Ocampo Hurts Weljon Mindoro
The tide turned at the end of round seven. Mindoro, who had been controlling the middle rounds, again hurt Ocampo with a crisp combination. But as the Filipino pressed forward, the Mexican re‑composed himself and caught the young fighter coming in, sending him stumbling as the round ended.
Ocampo seized the momentum from that point, going after Mindoro in the eighth with an all‑out assault. Though the southpaw acted unbothered, it was clear Ocampo was inflicting damage.
The end came in the ninth as Ocampo again pursued Mindoro. A perfectly placed right hand to the jaw finally dropped the Filipino, who fell face‑forward and was propped up only by his right hand on the bottom rope. Trainer Marc Farrait threw in the towel soon after, ending the bout at the 1:59 mark of the ninth.
Back to the Drawing Board for Weljon Mindoro
The loss is ill‑timed for Mindoro, who remains in search of a career‑defining victory. With this defeat, the son of Zamboanga is now winless against two former title contenders, having previously drawn with then‑WBO super welterweight challenger Takeshi Inoue of Japan in May 2023.
Now, with this setback against Carlos Ocampo, Weljon Mindoro is essentially back to square one. If he wants to be considered championship caliber, he will have to step up big time moving forward.
