Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez, the reigning champion of the super middleweight division, secured a victory against his challenger Edgar Berlanga.
In his eighth defence of the super middleweight title, the 34-year-old Álvarez (61-2-2) exhibited dominance throughout the majority of the bout. He leveraged his experience and persistent efforts to exhaust the 27-year-old challenger. Consequently, he often generated excitement among 20,312 fans, who repeatedly chanted “Mexico! Mexico!” or “CA-NEL-O! CA-NEL-O!”
Berlanga recorded his first career defeat, adjusting his record to 22 wins, 1 loss, and no draws.
I executed my responsibilities effectively. What will their response be at this juncture? Álvarez, participating in his eighth defence of the super middleweight title, stated, “They said I don’t fight young fighters.” “Despite the incessant chatter, my proficiency in combat is unparalleled globally.”
The judges, Max DeLuca and Steve Weisfeld, assigned scores of 118-109 to the fight, whereas David Sutherland noted a score of 117-110.
The punch output of Berlanga was roughly equivalent to that of Álvarez; however, the champion demonstrated a markedly higher level of accuracy. Álvarez achieved a landing rate of 43.3%, successfully connecting with 201 out of 464 punches thrown, whereas Berlanga’s performance resulted in a landing rate of 26.7%, with 119 out of 446 punches landing. Furthermore, Álvarez achieved a success rate of 49.1% by landing 133 out of 271 power punches.
Álvarez, a champion across four distinct divisions, has not concluded a fight prematurely since his technical knockout win against Caleb Plant more than three years ago, marking his ascent to undisputed champion status.
When Berlanga experienced a significant impact from a left hook to the chin in the third round, it appeared that the prolonged period without a decisive outcome might be nearing its conclusion. Additionally, it appeared that the additional punishment Lvarez had imposed was having an impact on his performance. In the fifth round, Álvarez executed a right uppercut with precision, while in the sixth round, he successfully landed a powerful hook.
However, Berlanga remained unwavering in his resolve, aligning his assertiveness with lvarez’s bravado and displaying an unwillingness to cower in the face of the person he would later refer to as “my idol” after the fight. Furthermore, his actions in the seventh round were erratic, as he was unable to connect with a powerful overhand right, leading to his collapse onto the canvas. Furthermore, a caution was issued for a headbutt directed at Álvarez’s face during the eighth round.
Álvarez stated, “I experienced a degree of irritation due to his strategies, but I identify as a Mexican man.” “Engaging in combat on this day holds substantial importance for me.” I view it as an honour to represent my country on this occasion.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) launched its inaugural event at the Sphere, situated merely three miles along Las Vegas Boulevard. The event showcased seven Mexican fighters, marking a pivotal moment in the history of combat sports in Las Vegas coinciding with Mexican Independence Day.
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) stripped lvarez of his championship as a result of his decision to fight Berlanga rather than William Scull, the IBF’s top-ranked contender.
The WBA middleweight championship bout featured Erislandy Lara, aged 41, with a record of 31 wins, 3 losses, and 3 draws, successfully defending his title against Danny Garcia, who holds a record of 37 wins and 4 losses. There weren’t many significant events during the fight itself. Lara successfully delivered a straight left punch to Garcia’s face, resulting in a knockout three minutes into the ninth round. Following the round, Angel Garcia, who serves as both father and trainer to Garcia, advocated for the cessation of the fight.
Lara, recognised as the oldest active world champion in boxing, stated, “The punches I was landing were hurting him.” “The decisive strike that concluded the altercation was a significantly forceful impact.”
In a contest for the interim WBA super middleweight title, Caleb Plant experienced a knockdown in the fourth round but subsequently outperformed his opponent in the following four rounds, culminating in a technical knockout win against Trevor McCumby (28-1-0) in the ninth round. This victory was achieved after Plant had initially trailed on the scorecards during the early rounds of the fight. Plant delivered a series of punches to McCumby’s head as the fight approached its conclusion, prompting referee Allen Huggins to intervene and halt the contest at the 2:59 mark.
Plant stated, “I recognised that I had him injured, and it was imperative for me to capitalise on that opportunity.” “The moment had arrived for me to obtain my belt.” I am currently preparing to return home to engage in activities with my daughter.
Rolando Romero improved his record to 16 wins, 2 losses, and no draws following a unanimous decision victory against Manual Jaimes, who now holds a record of 16 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw in the opening bout of the main card for the pay-per-view event. All three judges gave the fight the same score of 99-91 after evaluating it.