ALBERT Francisco proved he was the better fighter once again after defeating Robert Paradero in their rematch on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at the Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum in Zamboanga City.
The boxing event was promoted by Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial.
Francisco, 25, impressed his hometown crowd by winning through a unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 98-92, 100-90, and 99-91 in his favor. This means all three judges believed he clearly won the match.
With the victory, Francisco successfully defended his Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) flyweight title. His record improved to 15 wins, one loss, and one draw, with 10 knockouts. Paradero, a former world title challenger, now has a 19-13-2 record with 13 knockouts.
In their first fight, Francisco won by knockout in the fourth round.
In the co-main event, Weljohn Mindoro stayed unbeaten after knocking out Indonesian veteran Wellem Reyk in the second round.
Mindoro finished the fight just 47 seconds into Round 2. He landed a strong left jab and right cross to the head, then followed it with a powerful left hook to the body that dropped Reyk to the canvas.
Mindoro improved his record to 16 wins, no losses and one draw — all 16 wins coming by knockout. Reyk dropped to 22-35-4.
In the undercard, Cebuano boxer Bryx Piala bounced back from two straight losses by beating Sandy Volante via unanimous decision. / EKA