🥊 Marks and Payton Ends on an Odd DQ Call
- Damien St.Pierre
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
GRETNA, La. —BFC and Bonano Boxing’s River Parish Rumble packed the Mel Ott Center to the walls Saturday night, producing a string of entertaining bouts. But it was the main event that left the loudest echo—not for what happened, but for how it ended.
🥊 Main Event: Controversy Caps Competitive Battle
Heavyweights Zane “The Train” Marks (21-8) and Garreth “The Lion” Payton (6-2) gave the crowd three rounds of gritty, back-and-forth action.
Then, late in round three, everything unraveled.
Payton went down and remained on the canvas for several minutes following what was ruled an illegal blow to the back of the head. Referee Bruce McDaniel waved off the contest and issued a disqualification victory to Payton.
Here’s where the controversy takes root.
Video from ringside appears to show the only clean punch in the sequence being a right hand that landed to the back of Marks’ head, not Payton’s. If accurate, it raises serious questions about what the referee saw and ultimately, what dictated the outcome.
The Marks camp has already filed a formal protest with the Louisiana State Boxing Commission, and based on available footage, this situation may not be closed just yet.
A competitive fight deserved a decisive ending. Instead, it got an asterisk.
🥊 Co-Main Event: Vallotton Overcomes Early Trouble
New Orleans featherweight Sheldon Vallotton (7-1) had to overcome adversity early
After being dropped in the opening round, Vallotton regrouped and took control, outboxing Prince Martin (1-6) over six rounds to secure a clear decision victory. The win avenges any doubt from their January 2026 split decision bout, this time leaving no questions on the judges’ scorecards.
🐊 McKinley Makes a Statement
If there was a performance that screamed “remember the name,” it came from Delvin “Gator” McKinley (15-5-1).
The New Orleans native wasted no time, overwhelming Prentice Canada (6-23) and forcing a TKO at 1:32 of the first round. Sharp, explosive, and precise—McKinley looked every bit like a fighter ready for bigger opportunities in the region.
🥊 Maranhao Stays Perfect
MMA veteran Junior Maranhao (8-0) kept his undefeated boxing record in tact with some heavy shots
After dropping Keegan Young (1-4) in the first, Maranhao poured on sustained pressure in round two, forcing the referee to step in following a barrage of unanswered shots.
🥊 Draughter Grinds One Out
Super featherweight Joshua Draughter (7-7) evened his record with a disciplined, workmanlike win over Taran Ward (5-17). Consistent pressure and clean rounds against a durable and game opponent who refused to back down.
🥊 Opening Bout: Green Gets First Win
The night kicked off with urgency as Jaylen Green (1-1) wasted little time earning his first professional victory, stopping Darion Williams (0-2) at 1:10 of round one in an all-Missouri matchup.
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