Four months after fighting to a controversial draw, Bernard Hopkins and Segundo Mercado face off a second time for the vacant IBF Middleweight Championship. On his third attempt at gold, Hopkins claims the title with a dominant performance, hurting Mercado in rounds three, four and five and eventually stopping him on his feet when Referee Rudy Battle halts the contest in the seventh after looking into Mercado's eyes.

The Beltway Brawl: Bernard Hopkins vs. Segundo Mercado II

When Roy Jones Jr. vacates the IBF Middleweight Championship, Bernard Hopkins gets a second crack at the title in a bout with Segundo Mercado held at high altitude in Quito, Ecuador. After falling behind on points early, Mercado becomes the first man to knock Hopkins down, putting him on the seat of his pants with a right hand in the fifth round. Hopkins rallies and hurts Mercado badly in round six, but Mercado comes back to knock Hopkins through the ropes in the seventh. Hopkins finishes strong down the stretch but cannot convince the judges that he has won the fight and settles for a draw instead.

The Beltway Brawl: Bernard Hopkins vs. Segundo Mercado II

Bernard Hopkins vs. Segundo Mercado I

Segundo Mercado vs Adam Garland

Segundo Mercado vs Carlos Leturia

Eric Lucas vs Segundo Mercado

Segundo Mercado vs Michael Dale II

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