Sakima “Mister Smooth” Mullings and the Canadian “Assassin” Phil Rose will contest the 2017 Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum Contender Boxing final for the title of Jamaica’s Ultimate Junior Middleweight Contender on July 26.

This follows Richard “Frog” Holmes’s seven-round split decision loss to Rose in the second semi-final of the Contender Series fights at the Mico University grounds on Wednesday night.

The ultimate fighter will receive $2,000,000, the runner-up $500,000, third place $250,000 and fourth $200,000.

The narrow loss was a hard pill for Holmes to swallow, but after receiving a cut on the left eyebrow he never really looked the part of a likely winner against a lively looking and attacking Rose.

Holmes lost on two of the three judges’ cards with David Dunbar and Keith Brown scoring the bout 67-66 and 68-65, respectively, while judge Lindell Allen saw it 67-66 for Holmes.

“I probably was timid and not at my best after receiving the cut but I am pleased with my performance. However, let us not take anything away from Rose he fought a good fight and won,” Holmes said.

Rose, who is a reputed slow starter in his fights, came to the ring a different man and attributed this to his “diligent training and sticking” to a game plan.

“The plan was to get to him (Holmes) from the opening bell and stay close to him for every inch of the way. I thought an over head right which drew blood knocked the mickey out of the ‘Frog’,” said Rose.

“After this I never allowed him to relax and I kept the pressure on him and that went a long way in contributing to this win,” the Canadian added.

In the eight-round Welterweight under-card bout, DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley gave Ramel Lewis a boxing lesson to remember. The unanimous points decision from all judges Laurence Neufville, David Dunbar and Ransford Burton scoring in his favour with scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 79-37, respectively.

In the curtain-raiser amateur three-rounder bout, Patrick Sahadeo of the Jamaica Defence Force had a decision win over Collel Hogg of the Stanley Couch Gym in an Open Class Lightweight skit.

Mullings booked his semi-final spot a week ago with victory over fellow Jamaican Tsetsi Davis.

Before the final showdown, the Wray and Nephew Contender Series will take a one-week break to give finalists Mullings and Rose time to fully prepare for their match-up at the Mico University grounds.

The Contender final will be the main event of the regular three-fight card with the former and 2015 champion Kemahl Russell going up against Nigel Nelson of Trinidad and Tobago over eight rounds.