For a moment, it looked like the main event of Tachi Palace Fights 26 would end abruptly and with a new bantamweight champion being crowned. Instead, Rolando Velasco regrouped and recovered, allowing him to retain his TPF title via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-47) over Joe Neal Thursday night in Lemoore, Calif.
Velasco (13-3-1) was dropped early in the opening frame by a Neal left hook, but luckily for him the overzealousness of his challenger allowed him to survive the onslaught as “The Machine” intelligently locked him up in a clinch and slammed him down hard to clear his head.