Fight results

The first fight made one thing clear: slick boxers like Tevin Farmer are a problem for William Zepeda. Not an unsolvable one—but certainly a frustrating one.

Zepeda brings aggression, pressure, and heavy volume. He’s a swarmer who tries to overwhelm you. But that style is neutralized by movement, timing, and sharp defense—everything Farmer has in his toolkit.

This rematch is as much a mental battle as a physical one. Zepeda must figure out how to look more convincing this time—his razor-thin win left more questions than answers. Farmer, meanwhile, needs to refine what almost worked—to turn frustration into victory. He even dropped Zepeda for the first knockdown of his career, but still came up short.

At 34, Farmer isn’t done yet, but he’s approaching the back nine of his career. Zepeda, at 28, is in his prime.

Still, both fighters bring deep experience into the ring.

Farmer has been through wars and controversial decisions. Zepeda has faced world-level opposition more recently and is now defending interim WBC world title status.

Zepeda’s output is absurd. He throws nearly three times as many punches as Farmer on average. But with that volume comes lower accuracy.

Farmer is a sharp counterpuncher, more selective, more efficient. In terms of power punches, Zepeda holds a narrow edge in accuracy (23% vs. 22%)—but the real gap is in numbers:

– Zepeda lands 54 power shots per fight, on average.

– Farmer lands just 12.

Both fighters have been active, with three fights each in 2024.

Zepeda scored mid-fight knockouts over Maxi Hughes and Giovanni Cabrera, before barely edging Farmer in their first meeting. Farmer destroyed Castillo in one round, then went on to two close decision losses—one to Raymond Muratalla, the other to Zepeda. Many fans felt both could’ve gone the other way.

No doubt, Zepeda punches harder. But power only matters if it lands.

In the first fight, Zepeda couldn’t hurt Farmer, despite all his output. Farmer, meanwhile, landed clean and dropped Zepeda in Round 4.

This tells us that timing and accuracy may be more important than brute force. Farmer has been stopped before—but his defense often keeps him safe. Zepeda has a proven chin but showed vulnerability against a well-placed shot.

The rematch takes place in Cancún, Mexico—Zepeda’s backyard. In theory, that means confidence, crowd support, and comfort.

But hometown hype can be a double-edged sword. In 2023, Jaime Munguía lost by TKO in a similar homecoming scenario after letting the energy of the crowd drive him into unnecessary risks.

This fight matters to both, but the pressure is clearly on Zepeda.

He’s the favorite, the puncher, the younger man, and the one with a belt to defend. Yet he came close to losing in their first fight—and knows it.

Farmer enters with momentum despite the official loss. He knows he can neutralize Zepeda’s strengths, and just needs to make fewer mistakes.

Zepeda, on the other hand, must deliver a clearer, more dominant performance to validate his place atop the lightweight scene. He has to prove that the close call last time was a fluke, and that he can adapt, break down, and finish even his trickiest rivals.

This is a critical fight for both men—but Zepeda has more to prove.

Farmer has already shown he can be a legitimate problem for the aggressive Mexican. His path to victory is clear: execute more cleanly, avoid getting hit, and capitalize on counter opportunities the way he did in the first fight.

For Zepeda, it’s not just about winning again—it’s about doing it better. Despite getting his hand raised the first time, he now needs to make a statement, to prove that the close scorecards were a fluke, and that he can dominate and break down a tricky, defensive stylist like Farmer.