Acelino Freitas vs Juan Diaz

The April 28, 2007, lightweight unification bout at Foxwoods Resort between WBO champion Acelino Freitas and WBA titleholder Juan Diaz ended with Freitas's corner halting the contest after eight rounds of steadily mounting pressure from the younger champion. The bout marked Diaz's sixth WBA title defence while Freitas was making the first defence of his WBO belt in his second reign.

The judges' scorecards at the time of the stoppage reflected Diaz's growing control—Steve Epstein had the widest margin at 79-73, while Glenn Feldman (77-75) and Clark Sammartino (76-75) saw it closer but still in Diaz's favor. The fight pattern emerged early, with Diaz constantly pressing forward while Freitas attempted to maintain distance.

Freitas found success countering through the first four rounds, but his effectiveness diminished as Diaz's pressure began to take its toll. Freitas's punches lost power and precision from the fifth round onward, leaving him increasingly vulnerable to Diaz's more accurate counters. Though Freitas mounted occasional rallies, these became less frequent and less effective as the bout progressed.

The end came when Freitas's corner approached referee Mike Ortega before the ninth round to signal their fighter would not continue. The HBO Boxing After Dark broadcast captured both the tactical breakdown of Freitas's resistance and the crowd's disapproval of the manner of surrender.

This retirement marked Freitas's second such ending in a significant bout following his 2004 surrender against Diego Corrales. However, coming at the end of a distinguished career that included multiple world titles across two weight classes, this final capitulation did little to diminish his overall legacy in the sport.