Both fighters let their hands go, beginning with Stevenson connecting to the body. Zepeda relied on his volume punching to force the action, which worked as Stevenson obliged and returned fire as action remained at close quarters. Zepeda connected with a left uppercut that drew a rise out of the crowd. A right hand power shot by Zepeda seemed to briefly stun Stevenson as fans roared with approval despite the venue being much close to Stevenson's hometown (Newark, New Jersey) than San Mateo Atenco, Mexico.