Canelo Alvarez successfully defended his unified supermiddleweight titles in front of a raucous Las Vegas crowd, beating Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision.
On Mexican Independence weekend, there was a strong crowd from south of the border in Sin City, and their man put on a show against his New York-born opponent.
Alvarez knocked Berlanga down with a left hook in the third round, and was eventually crowned the victor, with the judges scoring the fight 117-110, 118-109 and 118-109.
In the latter stages of the fight, Berlanga was warned for an intention headbutt and the fighters almost came to blows after the American landed an illegal punch.
There was trash-talking throughout and Canelo admitted afterwards: ‘I got angry’, before attempting to explain to the sellout crowd with the line: ‘I’m a Mexican man.
Canelo Alvarez (right) lands a huge right hook on his opponent Edgar Berlanda in Vegas
In the third round, Berlanga was sent to the canvas for the first time in his career by Canelo
Speaking in the ring after the victory, he then told those in attendance at the T-Mobile Arena: ‘I’m the best fighter in the world.’
On a huge weekend for fight sports in Las Vegas with UFC at The Sphere just down the road, Alvarez put on a clinic against his previously-unbeaten opponent, whose record now falls to 22-1.
Canelo, meanwhile, improved to 62-2-2 at the age of 34.
After the bout, Berlanga said in the ring: ‘I could have done a lot more, but I was in there with a legend.’
That legend celebrated with a Mexican flag in the ring, as he jumped on the shoulders of his trainer to take the applause of the partisan crowd.
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