It wasn’t the same as fighting in New York City on St. Patrick’s Day, and certainly not what Belmar Preciado expected for his United States debut.

The Colombian featherweight did his best to make the most of the second chance opportunity, but instead found himself on the wrong end of a massive upset. Guadalajara’s Dennis Contreras came to play the role of spoiler, stopping Preciado in the fifth round of their Telemundo-televised main event Friday evening at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida. 

Contreras dropped Preciado in round five, finishing him off seconds later with the bout stopped at the 2:36 mark.

The year began with Preciado prepared to make his U.S. debut in a high-profile clash with Belfast’s two-tour Olympian and current unbeaten contender Michael Conlan. The two were due to collide on March 17—St. Patrick’s Day—at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City, only for the event to get shut down due to the initial wave of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Rather than his first fight in the states coming in front of a packed house, Preciado instead played to an empty room in Central Florida given current COVID-19 prevention protocols. The 32-year old featherweight did his best to not let it affect his performance, charging in with his jab and straight right hands against an inviting target.

Meanwhile, Contreras did his best to make things rough, clinching when necessary and also targeting Preciado’s open midsection in the opening round. The 28-year old from Guadalajara had a March fight of his own wiped out due to COVID, having weighed in for a showdown with Toka Khan Clary that never saw the light of day with the event canceled due to increasing health concerns. 

It resulted in a 15-month ring break for Contreras, who didn't show any signs of rust.  He took the lead in round two, connecting with a whipping right hand and left hook literally catching Preciado with his guard down. Preciado adjusted, tightening up his defense and offering return fire. A right uppercut found its target for the Colombian contender, which Contreras took well and kept coming forward.

Two-way action ensued in round three, with Contreras making a point to work the body. Preciado did his best to keep pace, with his best work coming in reactionary mode as Contreras sacrificed defense in order to have his say on the inside.

Preciado managed to turn the tide in round four, sticking to traditional boxing and avoiding a slugfest with the determined trialhorse. It was enough to swing momentum back in his favor, though the moment was shortlived.

Contreras saw an opening in round five and never looked back. Preciado spent the frame fighting in reverse, in part to turn a fight into a boxing match but also of the realization that he lacked the equalizer to engage in a slugfest. Contreras wasn’t having it, taking the fight to the heavily favored Preciado and briefly rocking him with a right hand along the ropes.

Preciado was stopped in his tracks and appeared to hit the canvas, though the sequence went undetected by the referee. Contreras made it count with the ensuing volley, with right hands and left hooks overwhelming Preciado in producing the bout’s lone knockdown. Preciado beat the count, but was unable to fend off an onrushing Contreras as the bout was halted soon thereafter.

Contreras—who has only been stopped twice in 35 career bouts—pulls off his second straight upset win in advancing to 22-10-1 (20KOs). The feat comes 13 months after handing Fernando Garcia his first career defeat in a decision victory last May in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Both bouts represent his lone two career fights in the U.S., having fought primarily in his native Mexico to that point.

Preciado falls to 20-3-1 (13KOs), snapping a two-fight win streak in the process.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox