MMA Knockout

Canelo Alvarez Dominates Edgar Berlanga In One-Sided Fight

Get the play-by-play results from Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga.

Zain Bando

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Canelo Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga met Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nev,, during a star-studded night in combat sports.

Plain and simple, Alvarez owns Mexican Independence Day weekend. In front of over 20,000 spectators, Alvarez defended his unified super middleweight title in a one-sided affair.

Boxing Live Results & Highlights - Canelo Álvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga

Here's how it went down, round-by-round.

Official Result: Canelo Alvarez def. Edgar Berlanga via unanimous decision (117-110, 118-109, 118-109)

Alvarez dominated Round 1 with crisp punches against the ropes, showcasing little-to-no answer from Berlanga. Alvarez did more of the same in Round 2, and despite Berlanga giving his best punches, Alvarez was sharper.

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Alvarez nearly let Berlanga's legs give out before Berlanga landed a right hand, but nothing that stunned the Mexican superstar. As seconds ticked away, Alvarez, a two-decade veteran in the squared circle, remained unbothered as he returned to his corner.

Round 3 began with Alvarez taking the center of the ring at boxing range, utilizing the jab. Berlanga utilized the jab before an Alvarez left hook sent T-Mobile Arena into a frenzy.

More devastating punches followed from Alvarez, but Berlanga stayed on his feet. Under a minute left, Berlanga kept his chin tucked. A Canelo body shot, followed by one upstairs, ended the round.

Round 4 saw Alvarez lead Berlanga 42-20 in total punches landed thus far as Berlanga went back to the jab. It simply was not pertinent enough, as Alvarez returned upstairs with a right hand and a left hook to the liver. Alvarez led 28-11 in power punches thrown as he kept Berlanga against the ropes. Once again, the Mexican legend could not find a home for the defining KO shot.

Round 5 was more of the same. Circle, circle and circle again, as Alvarez remained composed. Alvarez went back to the body, but Berlanga briefly countered. A right hand stunned Berlanga with under a minute left.

Joe Goossen had Canelo up 5-0 entering Round 6, as MMAKO unofficially had the same. Alvarez went back downstairs to begin the round. Alvarez had outscored Berlanga in the body-shot category, 20-4, continuing to cruise toward his second victory of the year.

Round 7 began with Alvarez keeping Berlanga against the ropes, slightly edging Berlanga in the jab category. Not much else happened, as neither man found their footing – literally. A slip from Berlanga ended the most uneventful round of the fight.

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Round 8 saw Berlanga return to the jab, as the unofficial scorecard had Alvarez ahead 70-62. Alvarez returned to the body again, followed by a few Berlanga punches. A timeout from referee Harvey Dock was called for a Berlanga headbutt, which Alvarez retaliated by putting him back against the fence. Berlanga ended the round with a one-two combination, but it wasn't enough for the New York native to steal the round.

Round 9 was the same for Alvarez, but the knockout never came despite him causing chaos against the ropes.

Round 10 was an Alvarez clinic, keeping his punches mainly upstairs while maintaining his energy in the process. Berlanga was visably frusturated with Alvarez's antics, adding to the heat of the moment.

Both men traded blows for much of Round 11, but Alvarez continued to unload to the body. While Berlanga hung tough, Alvarez kept pace against the ropes and, arguably with a few more seconds, could have walked away with the KO/TKO victory.

While the T-Mobile Arena heavily booed Berlanga, the love for Alvarez was paramount. Both men clinched with nearly two minutes left, and for the fifth straight time, Alvarez was yet to secure a finish. With under 90 seconds left, Alvarez continued to use the jab, followed by a left hook from Berlanga. With seconds ticking away, a right hand knocked Berlanga off-balance, as the unified middleweight champion celebrated in victory.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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