Leo Atang scored three knockdowns before stopping Jonathan Exequiel Vergara in the first round on Saturday, October 24, at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, although two of the knockdown sequences appeared to involve textbook rabbit punches to the back of the head. The knockdowns were still allowed, but it put a little stain on Atang’s win due to the repeated nature of those punches.
The 19-year-old heavyweight improved to 9-0 with eight knockouts on the Dalton Smith vs. Alberto Puello undercard, live on DAZN. Their scheduled six-round contest ended after Vergara’s third trip to the canvas.
The placement of the punches deserves attention alongside the result. Two of the shots appeared to catch Vergara behind the head rather than on the legal target area. That does not establish intent, but it makes describing the finish as a straightforward display of clean punching difficult.
Atang hurt Vergara early and continued applying pressure, with the Argentine unable to recover sufficiently to get through the round. The referee waved the contest off after the third knockdown, leaving Vergara with a 9-5 record and five knockouts.
Atang’s power was evident, but the apparent rabbit punches complicate what can be taken from this performance. Punch placement is part of a prospect’s education, particularly when an opponent bends forward under pressure. The responsibility is to find a legal target rather than follow the head downward with punches.
Atang has now completed nine professional fights in roughly 15 months since his July 2025 debut. His previous appearance ended with a second-round stoppage of Glen Williams in his American debut in July.
Only Viktar Chvarkou has taken the York prospect the distance, completing six rounds against him in April. Those rounds remain valuable for a young heavyweight whose other opponents have been stopped.
Atang recently moved to Stephen Smith’s Liverpool gym, where he trains alongside more experienced fighters. Another appearance is lined up for December 12 in Monaco.
A tougher opponent could provide a better indication of his progress, including his patience and accuracy when an early finish is unavailable. Atang has spoken about following a traditional route toward English and British titles.
He leaves Sheffield with another first-round victory, but the apparent back-of-the-head punches deserve to be part of the recap rather than lost beneath the knockout total.