Hebert Conceicao vows to be better after tough win over Johan Gonzalez
Long after the crowd had filtered out of the Prudential Center on Friday night, only Hebert Conceicao and his team remained inside the dressing room where the New Jersey Devils normally change into their uniforms and pads.
Away from the arena noise and television cameras, the 28-year-old Brazilian finally had a moment to reflect on a fight that had pushed him further than any before it.
Conceicao had to dig deep to earn a unanimous decision over Johan Gonzalez, a former title challenger whose recent losses had come against elite opposition. The scores were 96-93 twice and 95-94.
Conceicao’s victory proved far more competitive than Gonzalez’s defeats against WBA middleweight titleholder Erislandy Lara and junior middleweight contender Yoenis Tellez — both of whom dropped and dominated the Venezuelan. Conceicao required a strong second-half rally in which his superior skills carried him against a powerful if one-dimensional brawler.
Conceicao, now 11-0 (5 KOs), admitted after the ProBox TV main event that he was far from his best but was relieved to emerge with the victory.
“It was a good training camp for me, but in the last week we had bad things. I can't say here, I can't talk about it, but it was very difficult in the fight for me,” said Conceicao, a native of Salvador, Brazil, who won Olympic gold in 2021. “My performance was not good. I know this, but I won. This is the most important [thing] in this moment.”
Conceicao had a confident start, using his movement and counterpunching to score effectively against Gonzalez, now 36-6 (34 KOs). But he made one costly miscalculation, shoulder-rolling directly into a heavy right hand that sent Conceicao to the canvas.
Conceicao said it was the first knockdown of his career, either as a professional or amateur, though he acknowledged he had been dropped during sparring before. While it momentarily shifted the momentum of the fight, he said the experience ultimately served as a valuable lesson.
“I don't know how to say what happened there, but it was difficult for me, my first time. It was good for me, because this happened for the first time and now I know how it is,” said Conceicao.
“I fought against other experienced opponents before, but this fight was very difficult because of how I am feeling with this knockdown. It’s very difficult, and for me it’s good, because I am evolving with these things happening in my fights. I'm so proud for my performance, because I’m not 100 percent right.”
Manager Ruy Pontes put everything in perspective for his fighter, emphasizing that the focus now shifts toward the next step as Conceicao moves closer to contention in the middleweight division.
For the fighter himself, however, the immediate plan is simpler: return home to Brazil, spend time with family, and reflect before returning to the gym in two weeks.
What he knows for certain is that his next performance has to be better than Friday night.
“I know I need to be better next opportunity,” Conceicao said. “Not only do I need to be better, but I will be better next opportunity. I promise.”
Notes from Friday
A scheduled six-round junior welterweight bout between Gabriel Gerena, 8-1 (6 KOs), and Rani Jalomo, 7-0-1 (4 KOs), was canceled after Gerena withdrew after the weigh-in due to medical reasons.
A swing bout took place after the main event, with Newark’s Yoell Cooper scoring a first-round knockout in his pro debut against Peter Emmanuel Gonzalez, who is now 0-4. Cooper ended the junior middleweight contest with a left hand to the body at the 1:33 mark.
