Filipino leaves White impressed

LAS VEGAS — Mark Magsayo stole the thunder from the main event fighter during ZUFFA Boxing’s slugfest on Sunday night (Monday morning in Manila) at the Meta APEX.

Even the renowned Ultimate Fighting Championship founder Dana White, who also finances the fast-rising boxing outfit, was impressed by Magsayo’s showing —- a fifth-round stoppage of Feargal McCrory of Ireland — in the co-main event.

“They’re looking to bring him back in the ring probably in July against ex-world champion Jose Valenzuela or the headlining Andres Cortes,” American dealmaker Sean Gibbons, who helped Magsayo sign a three-fight annual contract with ZUFFA Boxing.

“He had a tremendous hit tonight, $50,000 win bonus and $50,000 performance bonus,” added Gibbons, apart from his standard purse.

Cortes also won his fight but his work paled in comparison to that of Magsayo.

Magsayo, nicknamed “Magsayo,” dominated the entire bout with his display of firepower and skills, prompting McCrory’s corner to throw in the towel after a series of hard shorts landed on the New York-based banger.

“I was a bit surprised that the towel was thrown. But I know he was hurt,” Magsayo said.

Despite absorbing heavy bombardment, McCrory refused to hit the deck.

McCrory came close to being knocked out in the fourth round when Magsayo connected three lefts that slammed into McCrory’s face, the first forcing him to take backward steps.

But Magsayo swore that it was just a matter of time before that actually happened even if McCrory had expressed extreme dissatisfaction over the decision of referee Robert Hoyle to pull the plug.

“I knew that in the end that he was getting knocked out,” he said.

An after-night party took place at the Knuckleheads Boxing training facility late in the day to celebrate Magsayo’s win where his fans and followers and members of the team gathered for dinner.

In attendance were reigning International Boxing Federation minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran, fresh from an amazing third defense in Temecula, California, and Jimuel Pacquiao, son of eight-division legend Manny Pacquiao.