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Tamara ends Viloria's reign with TKO


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POSTED: Saturday, January 23, 2010

Brian Viloria's second run as world champion ended just as quickly as his first.

The Waipahu native saw his reign as the International Boxing Federation light flyweight champion come to an end with a 12th-round TKO loss to Colombia's Carlos Tamara today at the Cuneta Astrodome in Manila, Philippines.

Referee Bruce McTavish stopped the fight at the 1:45 mark of the final round after Viloria ran out of gas and couldn't defend himself.

According to the Associated Press, Viloria collapsed in the locker room after the fight and was taken to a local hospital in an ambulance. No official word was given on his condition.

Tamara, who competed in the 2004 Olympics, improved to 21-4, while Viloria had his seven-fight winning streak snapped to fall to 26-3.

Viloria, 29, was making his second defense of the IBF title he won with a knockout of Ulises Solis in April of last year. He also lost in his second defense of the WBC title he held in 2006.

“;We came here to win and the conditioning and the desire to become a world champ is what got (me) through,”; Tamara said through a translator after the fight.

Viloria dominated the first eight rounds and had Tamara in trouble on multiple occasions with vicious body shots that buckled the challenger.

However, Tamara never stopped pushing the pace and outworking Viloria, and the tempo finally caught up to the champion in the 10th round.

Tamara came out in the 12th round and landed a power shot, but Viloria answered with a right hook that stunned Tamara. Viloria then fell to the ground, and the referee called it a slip. Viloria fell to the ground again 10 seconds later and after getting back to his feet, couldn't raise his hands to defend himself as Tamara started peppering away.

Finally, the referee stopped the fight and Viloria was immediately taken to his corner and given an oxygen mask.

“;I knew Brian was getting tired in the late rounds, and that's when I turned up the pace,”; Tamara said.

The contract between the two fighters came without a rematch clause, giving Tamara the opportunity to unify the light flyweight title against WBO champion Ivan Calderon.

“;I know (Viloria's camp) talked about Calderon, but why not fight me? I just beat Viloria,”; the new champion said.