The only true boxing bout of Triller’s first-ever Fight Club pay-per-view delivered an odd finish. 

Former 140-pound champion Regis Prograis landed a legitimate and debilitating body shot above the waistline of Ivan Redkach on Saturday night in the sixth round, but it was ruled a low blow by the referee as Redkach held his groin in pain. Redkach claimed he was hurt to the point where a ringside doctor ruled he was unfit to continue, even though the blow barely landed below his ribs. 

Regardless, Redkach (23-6-1, 18 KOs) was forced to be carried off on a stretcher and lost via technical decision to Prograis (26-1, 21 KOs) by the scores of 60-54, 60-54 and 59-54.

The end to the scheduled 10-round round fight was an anticlimactic one, even though Prograis was dominating all throughout the bout. 

According to CompuBox, Prograis outlanded Redkach 85 to 45 with punches in the matchup. 

Prograis used the first-round more as a feeling out process, but moved inside close quarters toward the end to show his superior boxing skills, connecting with crisp left hands. 

Prograis let his hands go in the second and rocked Redkach. The Ukrainian had to regain his balance by holding onto the ropes. Prograis’ overhand left hands were clearly too powerful, opening a cut over Redkach’s eye.

Redkach continued catching a beating in the third. He wasn’t able to establish a jab with the right, nor a power shot with the right.

Redkach, sporting a blue hairdo, couldn’t stave off the aggressor who was Prograis in the fourth. The Bayou-based boxer rained on Redkach with a series of left rands whenever he pleased. The onslaught particularly picked up in the last 45 seconds. Had the round lasted longer, perhaps Redkach would have been badly hurt. 

Prograis took the pedal off the metal in the fifth, and let Redkach linger. 

The sixth round had a different pace, as the clean body shot sealed the deal for an unconventional finish. 

The fight took place on the undercard of the Jake Paul versus Ben Askren Triller Fight Club pay-per-view at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com