William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer square off Saturday at Poliforum Benito Juarez in Cancun, Mexico, in a lightweight headliner scheduled for 12 rounds – a fight many expect to be a tight, back-and-forth battle.

That stands to reason given their first meeting, when Zepeda won a split decision over Tevin Farmer in a 10-round fight last November in Saudi Arabia, where two judges had it 95-94 for Zepeda and one had it 95-94 for Farmer.

Zepeda, 32-0 (27 KOs), had to work harder than most expected in that first fight. A 28-year-old from San Mateo Atenco, Mexico, Zepeda had been mentioned as a future opponent for WBC lightweight belt holder Shakur Stevenson. But Farmer, 33-7-1 (8 KOs), a 34-year-old from Philadelphia whose slick southpaw style is similar to that of Stevenson, dropped Zepeda and gave him a stern test in that first encounter. That led some to question how Zepeda, the interim WBC titleholder, would fare against Stevenson.

Let’s revisit the first Zepeda-Farmer fight by giving it a second look, round by round:

Round 1 

Farmer set the tone by limiting Zepeda’s volume with a good jab, but Zepeda appeared to edge the round. It was a very close swing round. Farmer prevented Zepeda from bullying him and strategically held to stop Zepeda’s inside work.

Round score: 10-9 Zepeda

Round 2

Farmer began to get a feel for Zepeda’s timing and landed a big left hand early in the round. Farmer’s defense was on point as Zepeda missed a lot of his shots. Farmer put in good body work at the end of the round, but Zepeda had some late flurries that could have stolen it. Another swing round.

Round score: 10-9 Farmer

Round 3

Zepeda looked to push the pace and up his punch count early in the round. Farmer held his own, but Zepeda outworked Farmer in the first definitive round for either fighter. It looked like Zepeda was figuring Farmer out at this point and the moment was slipping away from Farmer. 

Round score: 10-9 Zepeda

Round 4 

Zepeda once again started quickly. But Farmer began to plant his feet into the ground and sit on his punches to earn some respect. Amid a heated exchange, Farmer dropped Zepeda with a pullback straight left over the top that (temporarily) sent Zepeda to a knee. A clear round for Farmer because of the knockdown.

Round score: 10-8 Farmer

Round 5

Farmer made adjustments as he began to punch with Zepeda. He landed the clearer punches and carried over his success from the previous round.

Round score: 10-9 Farmer

Round 6

Zepeda came forward and threw more. Farmer was continuing to land shots, but Zepeda’s volume seemed to edge this round. Farmer appeared to take the round off after putting together two successful rounds.

Round score: 10-9 Zepeda

Round 7

Zepeda continued to throw a lot of punches, winning the round based on volume.

Round score: 10-9 Zepeda

Round 8

A very close swing round. Zepeda outworked Farmer, but Farmer might have landed the cleaner punches. A few strong body shots from Zepeda might have been the difference.

10-9 Zepeda

Round 9 

Zepeda stayed busy and wouldn’t allow Farmer to hold on the inside. A clear round for Zepeda.

Round score: 10-9 Zepeda

Round 10

Farmer made a strong rally in the final round, throwing good, accurate power shots. Farmer’s overhand left was effective, slowing Zepeda and winning the round – although it was close enough to be considered another swing round.

Round score: 10-9 Farmer

BoxingScene re-scored the fight 95-94 for Zepeda, with four swing rounds – those being the first, second, eighth and 10th. We split the swing rounds, giving each fighter two apiece. Farmer was ahead through six rounds, but Zepeda tied the fight up in the seventh and went on to win the majority of the closing rounds.

The biggest takeaway from the fight is simple: Zepeda might have been dropped, but he performed well. In hindsight, the bout dulled some of his luster as a come-forward pressure fighter when Farmer, not known as a power puncher, dropped him. But Zepeda dictated a lot of the terms of the fight, maintained a huge punch output and wore Farmer down in the later rounds. And despite his being dropped, Zepeda never lost faith in what got him there – pressure and volume.

A Zepeda win was a fair outcome, even if the court of public opinion often looks down on a favorite getting dropped and going on to win the bout. Judging by the scoring criteria, Zepeda won the fight. Farmer was undervalued and overlooked coming into the bout, and he fought a tremendous fight – but it’s hard to think of what he could improve on to turn Saturday’s rematch in his favor.

An early version of this story incorrectly credited Farmer for winning the seventh round, which was inconsistent with the final re-scoring and result of the fight. BoxingScene regrets the error.

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.