Former two-time WBC super middleweight champion David “The Mexican Monster” Benavídez retained the interim WBC super middleweight title when he beat former IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant on a unanimous 12-round points decision on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The scores were 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113.
In a closely-fought encounter, Benavidez made a slow start as Plant edged the early rounds.
However, Benavidez picked up the pace in the later rounds, with Plant resorting to holding and pushing without being warned by the referee Kenny Bayless.
Benavidez improved his record to 27-0; 23 and Plant’s record dropped 22-2; 13.
On the same card, junior middleweight Jesus Ramos (20-0; 16) stopped Joey Spencer (16-1; 10) in the seventh round.
Former junior lightweight world champion Chris Colbert (17-1; 6), fighting at lightweight, won on a 10-round majority points decision against Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela (12-2; 8).
OKOLIE RETAINS WBO CRUISERWEIGHT BELT
In a poor fight, WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie (19-0; 14) won on points over 12 rounds against mandatory challenger David “The Great White” Light (20-1; 12) on Saturday night at the AO Arena in Manchester, England.
The taller Okolie kept Light at the end of his jab throughout the fight with a lot of pushing and wrestling and very few clean scoring punches being landed.
The scores were 119-108, 117-110 and 116-112.
The 2020 Olympic super heavyweight bronze medalist beat late substitute Bogdan Dinu (20-5; 16), who did not come out at the bell for the third round.
Junior lightweight Michael Gomez Jr (19-1; 5) won on a 10-round split decision against Levi Giles (13-1; 3) to claim the vacant English belt.
The scores were 97-93 and 97-94 Gomez, 96-95.
Karriss Artingstall Wpts 6 Linzi Kuczynski (female featherweight).
Callum Simpson w ko 3 Celso Neves (super middleweight).
ZEPEDA WINS OVER 10 ROUNDS
Junior welterweight and WBC No. 7-rated Jose “Chon” Zepeda (36-3; 27) scored a unanimous 10-round points decision over Neeraj ”Gangster” Goyat (17-4-2; 7) on Saturday night at the Domo Alcalde in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The scores were 100-90 on all three judges’ scorecards.
The WBC No. 10-rated junior middleweight Carlos “Chema” Ocampo (35-2; 23) dominated Mauricio Gutierrez (7-2; 5) for four rounds, as Gutierrez did not answer the bell for the fifth round.
RAMIREZ WINS ON AN 11TH-ROUND KNOCKOUT
In a WBC junior welterweight eliminator, former unified champion Jose Ramirez (28-1; 18) won on an 11th-round knockout over former world lightweight champion Richard “RC” Commey (30-5-1; 27) on Saturday night at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.
It was toe-to-toe action from the opening bell before Ramirez scored two knockdowns in the 11th round, with Commey being counted out at 2:31 into the round.
In a female minimumweight unification bout, WBA champion Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada (24-0; 9) won on points over 10 rounds against WBC champion “Tiny” Tina Rupprecht (12-1-1; 3).
Heavyweight Antonio “El Gigante” Mireles (7-0; 6) won on a six-round split decision against Patrick Mailata (6-2; 3).
Lightweight Raymond Muratalla (17-0; 14) came back from a first-round knockdown to stop Humberto Galindo (14-3-1; 11) in the ninth round. The time was 2:40.
ARTHUR OUTSCORES CRIGHTON
Light heavyweight Lyndon Arthur (22-1; 15), who is listed at No. 10 by the WBO won on a 10-round unanimous points decision over late substitute Boris Crighton (10-2; 7) at the University of Bolton Stadium in Bolton, England on Friday night.
The scores were 99-91, 98-92, 96-93.
ZUCO WINS ON A UNANIMOUS POINTS DECISION
The WBC No. 15 super middleweight Ivan Zucco (17-0; 14) won on a unanimous 10-round points decision against Germaine Brown (12-2; 3) at the Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy on Friday night.
Zucco retained his WBC International title with scores of 99-91 on three judges’ scorecards.