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LAS VEGAS – Julio Ceja was released from a local hospital Sunday afternoon, the day after suffering a brutal knockout defeat against Mark Magsayo.
Ceja was kept overnight at Valley Medical Center as a precautionary measure. He responded well to extensive testing upon his arrival Saturday night from nearby T-Mobile Arena, where he lost on the Manny Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas undercard.
Ceja was preparing Sunday night to fly home to his native Mexico, along with his wife.
Ceja, 28, was ahead on all three scorecards when Magsayo drilled him with a picture-perfect right hand that knocked Ceja unconscious and emphatically ended a fight FOX Sports Pay-Per-View televised. Magsayo caught Ceja with a second right hand as Ceja was falling to the canvas.
Those two shots left a motionless Ceja flat on his back. The Nevada State Athletic Commission’s medical personnel tended to Ceja for several minutes before he was able to sit on a stool in his corner.
Ceja walked out of the ring, but he was assisted by his handlers as he headed to his locker room.
The former WBC interim super bantamweight champion figures to be placed on an extended medical suspension by the NSAC based on the violent nature of his knockout defeat.
Ceja (32-5-1, 28 KOs) had hoped to upset the Philippines’ Magsayo (23-0, 16 KOs) and earn a 126-pound title shot.
Judges Max De Luca (86-83), Lisa Giampa (86-83) and Don Trella (87-82) all had Ceja ahead entering the 10th round of their WBC featherweight elimination match. He dropped Magsayo, who is promoted by Pacquiao’s company, late in the fifth round and appeared to be wearing down his 26-year-old opponent prior to Magsayo’s sensational knockout.
Ceja, who suffered the fourth knockout or technical knockout defeat of his 12-year pro career, overcame a first-round knockdown and aggressively pursued Magsayo for most of their fight.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.