COSTA MESA – Oxnard’s Crystal Morales and Rhonda Luna of Rowland Heights have battled twice in the past three months, and both were fights to the finish.
In Thursday’s 10-round main event at Fight Club OC at the Hangar, Morales scored early and then finished with a flurry to win in a split decision. The cards were 98-91, 93-96 and 95-94.
Morales (8-8-1) captured the IFBA lightweight belt and avenged her loss to Luna (17-4-2) in the first battle between the lightweights.
“Our game plan was to not brawl in the beginning and then at the end just bring it and give it all to her,” Morales said. “I know people talk about me like I’m a girly girl with high heels and makeup on.
“In the ring I’m a totally different person. The tomboy comes out in me.”
Morales knocked down Luna with a left hook in the first round.
“I saw clean shots and said I got to take it,” she said. “It’s the kind of shot that you see an opening and you got to take it.”
The fight was one of six on the hybrid card that drew 1,482.
A pair of Fullerton fighters came away with victories, including Curtis Millender, who improved to 3-0 with a unanimous decision over J.C. Llamas of Bakersfield in the 170-pound MMA main event.
All three of Millender’s victories have been at Fight Club OC events.
In a battle of MMA heavyweights, Fullerton’s Jack May (5-0) stayed unbeaten with a split decision over San Diego’s Keishaun Hill (1-1).
In a bantamweight MMA fight, Anaheim’s Mauricio Diaz (2-0) stayed unbeaten with a unanimous decision over Jose Huerta (0-1) of Bell Gardens.
In a super-welterweight boxing match, John Hayes of Los Angeles improved to 4-0 with a unanimous decision over Victorville’s Dante Spinks (0-3).
