By: William Holmes
The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada was the host site for tonight’s DAZN fight card featuring Mexican Superstar Canelo Alvarez facing off against Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey Kovalev.
Canelo jumped up two weight classes to face Kovalev, and many felt this fight carried a lot of risk for Canelo. The undercard ended before twelve, but executives at DAZN decided to wait until the conclusion of the UFC pay per view main event before starting the fight between Canelo and Kovalev.
Unfortunately for fight fans that meant a long gap in between the co-main event and main event of the evening.
The three national anthems for the evening, the Russian, Mexican, and American anthems, were finally sung at 12:57 AM Eastern Time. Kovalev entered the ring first to a muted response and Canelo entered second to a much more enthusiastic crowd.
Photo Credit: DAZN Twitter Account
The following is a round by round recap of tonight’s main event.
Sergey Kovalev (34-3) vs. Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2); WBO Light Heavyweight Title
Round 1:
Kovalev looks significantly taller than Canelo inside the ring, but Canelo looks to be in incredible shape. Kovalev comes out with his jab and keeps it in the face of Canelo. Canelo is keeping a high and tight guard. Canelo lands a short body shot. Canelo is showing some good head movement. Kovalev’s right hand misses a few times. Canelo misses with a jab. Canelo misses with a two punch combination. Kovalev lands three straight jabs. Good straight right by Kovalev. Kovalev is effective with his reach so far. Canelo ends first round with a short left uppercut, but not enough to win the round.
10-9 Kovalev
Round 2:
Kovalev is active with his jab early on. Kovalev gets hit with a glancing left hook. Kovlave lands a few hard jabs in the face of Canelo. Canelo really had good head movement. Kovalev lands a short left hook to the head of Canelo. Canelo lands a short left hook to the body of Kovalev. Kovalev is throwing a large number of punches. Canelo lands a good hook to the body of Kovalev. Canelo gets tagged with a check left hook. Kovalev is touching Canelo and moving. Canelo lands a good right counter on Kovalev. Canelo lands a hard jab. Kovalev is outlanding and out throwing Canelo, but Canelo is starting to look more confident.
10-9 Kovalev, 20-18 Kovalev
Round 3:
Kovalev comes out firing his jab in the face of Canelo. Canelo lands a good jab. Canelo lands a good counter right and follows it with a jab. Kovalev is very active with his jab. Canelo lands a short check left hook. Kovalev is picking his chances to throwing his straight right hand. Canelo lands a good counter left and Kovlaev replies with a counter combination. Canelo is having some difficulty closing the distance against the repetitive jab of Kovalev.
10-9 Kovalev, 30-27 Kovalev
Round 4:
Kovalev comes out the aggressor against Canelo. Kovalev gets moved backward from a left hook by Canelo. Canelo lands a good left hook to the temple of Kovalev. Kovalev has throwing over 100 more jabs than Canelo at this point in the fight. Canelo is beginning to walk Kovalev down, and is able to land a good right to the body of Kovalev. Kovalev lands a good left hook the body of Canelo. Canelo seems focused on landing to the body. Kovalev is a little wary of Canelo’s power but still more active. Closer round.
10-9 Canelo, 39-37 Kovalev.
Round 5:
Kovalev comes out at the start of the fifth round sticking behind his jab. Canelo appears to have an edge in power over Kovalev. Canelo lands a good stiff jab on Kovalev. Canelo lands a heavy left hook to the body of Kovalev. Canelo is really starting to dig into his punches. Canelo is pressing the pace and action this round. Kovalev lands a short right but takes a hard shot to the body afterwards. Canelo partially blocks a right uppercut from Kovalev. Kovalev lands two good shots to the body and Canelo goes upstairs with a left hook. Kovalev with another good right to the body. Close round, but Kovalev more active.
10-9 Kovalev, 49-46 Kovalev.
Round 6:
Kovalev is sticking his jab in the face of Canelo. Canelo loads up and lands two hooks to the ribs of Kovalev. Canelo lands a short jab. Canelo does not appear to be bothered with the power shots of Kovalev. Canelo lands two more hard shots to the body of Kovalev. Kovalev is unsuccessful in tying up with Canelo. Canelo lands a good pull counter straight right on Kovalev. Canelo lands a good straight right followed by a left hook to the head of Kovalev. Canelo digs in two more hard hooks to the body of Kovalev. Kovalev takes a deep breath near the end of the round.
10-9 Canelo, 58-56 Kovalev
Round 7:
Kovalev paws his jab at the face of Canelo. Kovalev is leading with his left hook. Canelo sticks out a short jab in the face of Kovalev. Canelo lands another sharp jab. Canelo lands a counter left hook. Kovalev unable to tie up with Canelo again. Canelo with another crisp left hook to the body of Kovalev. Canelo lands a short right to the chin of Kovalev. Canelo is bullying Kovalev around the ring. Canelo lands another short straight right hand. Canelo is definitely landing the harder punches on Kovalev. Good two punch combination from Canelo. Good round for Canelo.
10-9 Canelo, 67-66 Kovalev
Round 8:
Kovalev flicking out his jab and lead left hooks to start the round. Canelo lands a good short jab. Canelo landing heavy shots to the body again. Canelo is blocking a lot of Kovalev’s punches. Kovalev is doubling and tripling up his jab. Kovalev ducks under a counter right by Canelo. Kovalev is backing up Canelo around the ring. Some fans are whistling right now. Kovalev has Canelo’s back against the ropes.
10-9 Kovalev, 77-75 Kovalev
Round 9:
They touch gloves at the start of the round. Kovalev doubling up his jab in the face of Canelo. Canelo lands a good counter left hook. Kovalev lands a good combination on Canelo upstairs and Canelo answers with a counter to the body. Boos and whistles from the crowd again. Kovalev touches Canelo twice upstairs cleanly. Kovalev lands a good counter right on Canelo, and Canelo lands a left to the body. Canelo lands some good power shots on Kovalev while Kovalev jabs at the face of Canelo. Canelo lands a good right hook to the body then a right to the head of Kovalev. Canelo isn’t throwing enough combinations but is landing some power shots.
10-9 Canelo, 86-85 Kovalev
Round 10:
Lots of close rounds at this point. Canelo looks to be fighting with a little more urgency. Kovalev touching and moving with Canelo. Canelo has Kovalev backed to a corner and lands a good straight right hand. Kovalev eats an over the top right hand. Canelo is moving Kovalev around the ring. Kovalev is throwing a high number of punches but a lot of them are range finding punches. Kovalev jabs to the body. Canelo looks a little frustrated. Some boos from the crowd again.
10-9 Kovalev, 96-94 Kovalev
Round 11:
Canelo starts off round with a good two punch combination. Canelo lands a right uppercut to the body. Canelo looks like he is pressing the pace more this round. Canelo lands a short straight right hand. Canelo tags Kovalev with a right uppercut followed by a right hook. Kovalev circling away from Canelo. Canelo flicks out and lands a jab, and follows it with a whistling left hook. Kovalev lands a good rising left hand. Canelo lands a hard right hand, and Kovalev wraps a right hand around the guard of Canelo. Canelo lands two hard shots to the body. Canelo lands a vicious two punch combination and Kovalev crumbles to the ground.
The referee immediately waives it off as Kovalev is badly hurt.
Canelo ends it in stunning fashion.
Canelo wins the WBO Light Heavyweight Title by KO at 2:15 of the eleventh round.