Vic Darchinyan vs. Jorge Arce: Round By Round

We're almost set for the main event on the Showtime card from Anaheim as Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce are set to do battle for three 115-pound belts. Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein are caling the action.

A video package takes viewers back through some of Arce's more colorful antics. The 29-year old Mexican is 51-4-1 and has won his last five.

Darchinyan comes in sporting a 31-1-1 record with 25 KOs. Along with his in-ring skills, he's one of the best talkers in the sport of boxing. Outspoken doesn't even begin to describe him.

Bernstein says Arce's keys to victory are to close the distance and throw hooks without squaring up. For Darchinyan, Al thinks he should stay off the ropes, remember his jab and land left hands.

Arce comes to the ring with his trademark cowboy hat and lollipop. There are fans supporting both fighters but it sounds like a majority of them are there to cheer on Arce. Darchinyan comes out second, sporting a bit of a confident smirk.

The tale of the tape shows the older Vic with a one-inch height advantage. Arce actually has a slight reach advantage, but he's not expected to put it to use.

Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles the introductions and we're ready to go.

Round One

Vic comes forward but Arce lands the first punch. Vic shoves some short shots back. Arce is moving a little more than you might expect. Vic lands a nice counter shot in the center of the ring. Arce tries the body and they clinch. Vic wants to fight and both men land. Darchinyan scores with an uppercut in tight. He lands a left hand and a right hook. Another stiff left crashes home and Vic is looking comfortable.

Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan

Round Two

Arce looks like he may already be cut near his left eye. He tries to charge forward but has trouble avoiding the lefts coming back. Arce runs into some more left hands as he tries to scrap. Now he gets a right hand in there. Vic is staying patient and waiting to unload. He throws a right hook before they clinch. Arce tries the body and faces a lot of return fire. Both men miss big punches along the ropes, but Vic bears down with some left hands before the bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan

Round Three

Vic lines up the left again as he backs Arce up. He's using the right hook too. Arce throws to the body and then upstairs. Now a wild exchange breaks out with both men landing multiple shots. Arce may have done some damage with a hook. Vic stands his ground and clinches several times. He lands a big left hand, but Arce comes charging in again. The final ten seconds see an extended brawl and the fans love it.

Franchise: 10-9 Arce
Spartan117: 10-9 Arce

Round Four

Vic lands the first good punch of this round, another left. Arce scores a nice left hook that knocks Vic off balance a bit. There's some wrestling in the center as Jorge tries to work the body. Vic fires his own body shot. Arce comes forward with two right hands. Vic throws a left and there's an awkward clinch. Vic scores with a big uppercut and Arce looks wobbled. Another big left finds the range and another one just misses.

Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan

Round Five

Arce is trying to tie up often but Vic is backing away. He stays in the champ's face but has to be wary of the left hand. Darchinyan stalks his way in but Arce ties up and throws to the body. Arce does some nice work in close and lunges with a right. Darchinyan just misses another huge left. Arce waves him in and there's a bit of shoving. Arce tries to turn it into a brawl and Vic obliges with a flurry to close out the round.

Franchise: 10-9 Arce
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan

Round Six

The ref warns Darchinyan for pushing down on Arce's head. He lands several lefts in the midst of an exchange. Vic bounces around and looks for an opening. He measures another left. Now he uses his movement to set up some more head shots. Vic's boxing skills are really on dispay in this round. Arce throws hooks and is hit by an uppercut coming back. Vic covers up well to weather a flurry. Darchinyan connects with a straight left to put an exclamation point on this one.

Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan

Round Seven

Press row scoring has it a shutout for Darchinyan to this point. The crowd applauds Arce's left hook but Vic goes right back to work. Darchinyan throws numerous jabs but the left is behind it. Vic peppers Arce with both hands in the corner. Two good lefts to the body by Vic. An uppercut follows and Arce may have been wobbled a bit by that one.

Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan

Round Eight

Arce presses forward but Darchinyan is too crafty to be trapped. Vic scores with an uppercut and measures another left hand. Arce lands a left hook but Darchinyan shakes it off and responds with two lefts. He misses a wild left but hops forward with another one. Darchinyan is bleeding from the nose but that was another good round for him.

Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan

Round Nine

Give credit to Arce for hanging in there. The crowd is a little restless as both men feint. Arce attempts body shots but has to weather some in return. Vic snaps the jab and swings wildly with a left. Arce holds the back of his head like he was fouled, and the ref warns both men for holding and hitting and wrestling. A combination crashes into Arce's head. Not much flow to that round but Vic did plenty to win it.

Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan

Round 10

Vic picks Arce off with a right hand as he leans in. Plenty of wrestling in the center of the ring and the ref is busy. Arce is now bleeding near both eyes. Darchinyan still showing excellent footwork. He scores with a sharp left and Arce tries to shake it off. Vic showboats a bit as he counters with left hands. Arce is giving it all but is basically just flailing and hoping at this point.

Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan

Round 11

Could this one actually make it the distance? We've got just two rounds left. Vic is playing to the crowd and looking very confident. Arce is frustrated and mostly swinging at air. Vic pours it on in the corner and Arce could be in trouble. Several uppercuts find the mark for Vic. Arce waves his foe in but his face is a mess. Darchinyan tees off with about four left hands.

Franchise: 10-9 Darchinyan
Spartan117: 10-9 Darchinyan

The doctor steps in and calls the fight after a look at Arce's cuts.

The winner by TKO at the end of Round 11... and still WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight champion... "The Raging Bull" Vic Darchinyan.

Jim Gray gets a word with Darchinyan, who actually gives Arce a bit of credit for landing some shots in the middle rounds. Vic says he would have fought Arce at any time in his career, but he's glad it finally happened. He also thinks he would have knocked Arce out in the 12th round if the fight had been allowed to continue. Darchinyan says he'd love to fight Nonito Donaire again, but Gary Shaw is standing at his side and says "not a chance."

Through his interpreter, Arce says he came to fight but he complains about Darchinyan using his elbows. He gives credit to Vic for being a very strong fighter but believes the elbows cut his face and head. Did he agree with the stoppage? No he doesn't, as he felt he could have continued. Both the doctor and referee decline to speak to Gray.