‘I’m back.’ Canelo Álvarez proves he can still dominate in triumph over Jermell Charlo
When the final bell rang Saturday night, mercifully ending the lopsided sparring session, Canelo Álvarez touched gloves with his vanquished foe, hugged him, and gave him a pep talk.
He had just dominated Jermell Charlo. Everyone at T-Mobile Arena knew the impending result. Even Charlo couldn’t argue the outcome. Álvarez was never threatened in the 12-round exhibition. He didn’t even bother sitting in his corner between rounds. He pummeled Charlo, a self-professed lion, into the cowardly one from the Wizard of Oz.
Moments later, ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. made it official: An unanimous decision victory for Álvarez, his third defense as the undisputed super middleweight champion. Two judges gave Charlo two rounds. The third gave him one. Even that was a stretch.
Canelo Álvarez quiets any notion he might be slipping in dominant win
Canelo Álvarez, the unified super middleweight champion, thoroughly dominated Jermell Charlo on Saturday night, winning by unanimous decision and perhaps quieting some of the talk that he had begun to slip as a boxer.
Álvarez won by scores of 119-108, 118-109 and 118-109. Charlo, the unified junior middleweight champ, moved up two weight classes to take on Álvarez.
Even though Charlo (35-2-1) was the one moving up two weight classes, he is 4 inches taller than the 5-foot-8 Alvarez and with a 2½-inch reach advantage. That didn’t matter.
There had been some recent talk that Álvarez (60-2-2) had slipped, but he looked like the Canelo of old in this fight.
Entering this fight, he lost by unanimous decision to Dmitry Bivol in May 2022, won by unanimous decision a year ago over past-his-prime Gennady Golovkin and then easily beat John Ryder in May on the scorecards.
But now Álvarez, who is from Mexico, can look toward the future. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has declared David Benavidez will be his mandatory challenger for the super middleweight belt.
But Álvarez has not committed to facing Benavidez, a 26-year-old who is 27-0 with all but four wins by knockout. If Álvarez turns down Benavidez, the WBC likely would vacate his championship.
Round 12: Canelo scores unanimous decision victory
Round 12: Canelo didn’t close the show in style with a stoppage win, but he submitted a one-way shellacking nevertheless. There appears to be plenty left in the tank for Canelo at the age of 33. He scored a unanimous decision victory with scores of 119-108, 118-109 and 118-109. He landed 134 of his 385 punches, compared to 71 of 398 from Charlo.
Round 11: Canelo cruising toward a win, but knockout may be elusive
Round 11: Canelo is now in cruise control. He’s done more than enough so far to comfortably walk away with the win — but can he score a KO, a feat that has escaped him since becoming the 168-pound king in 2021? It could be a tall task, since Charlo doesn’t seem to want to engage with a sense of urgency. Another easy round for Canelo.
Round 10: Charlo delivers a five-punch combination, but Canelo remains consistent
Round 10: Charlo arguably had his best sequence of the fight with a five-punch combination, but even that was not enough to amount to the total work Canelo is doing on his end. Canelo is consistent with his pressure, beautifully cutting off the ring. There simply is no sense of urgency coming from Charlo. Canelo might as well be cruising in his new comfortable ride on Sunset Boulevard instead of delivering a comprehensive beatdown.
Round 9: Canelo proves he’s more comfortable at this bout’s weight class
Round 9: Canelo is proving that weight classes matter in boxing. He has bullied his entire way through the bout. The 14 pounds is seemingly too much to for Charlo overcome at this stage of the fight. He’s slowing down. However, Charlo showed some flashes in the ninth, unleashing a couple of combinations. Once the encounter gets close, though, Charlo begins to hold.
Round 8: Canelo continues piling on the punches
Round 8: Canelo is simply sitting on his punches and throwing everything with bad intentions, receiving little resistance. It’s rinse and repeat at this point, and Charlo hasn’t had any answers all night. Canelo has easily tamed the opponent who fights under the moniker of “the lion.”
Round 7: Canelo forces Charlo to take a knee
Round 7: Canelo unleashes a cannon of a right hand, follows it up with an uppercut and drops Charlo for just the second time in his career. Charlo is forced to take a knee due to the sheer force of the punch, which catches the side of his temple. Canelo continues to apply the pressure and easily scores a 10-8 round.
Round 6: Crowd chants fire up Canelo
Round 6: The partisan crowd gathered for Álvarez starts screaming: “Canelo, Canelo, Canelo.” Seemingly inspired, Álvarez uncorks on Charlo with his patented, measured punches around the guard. Charlo has maybe won one round so far.
Round 5: Canelo and Charlo trade left hooks, but Canelo still has upper hand
Round 5: Álvarez is a bull applying the pressure, walking Charlo down, this time with an explosive left hook. Charlo showed some life, however, landing a left hook of his own. Canelo is in full control so far. He landed 14 punches in the fifth round, compared to nine from Charlo.
Round 4: Canelo remains in control
Round 4: Call it great matchmaking, or an Álvarez revival, because Canelo appears to be turning in a turn-back-the-clock performance against Charlo through four rounds. Charlo landed a couple of jabs, but Álvarez is pretty much blocking most of the meaningful punches. Álvarez pitching a shutout through the first third of the fight.
Round 3: Charlo struggles to counter Canelo’s punches
Round 3: Is Charlo already feeling the power of Álvarez? The shots from the Houston native are coming in few and far between. Álvarez, meanwhile, is taking his time comfortably measuring up his punches and landing whatever he intends to. Another easy round for Álvarez. So far through three, Charlo appears that he doesn’t belong in the same class as Canelo.
Round 2: Canelo delivers strong blows
Round 2: Álvarez amped up the efforts in the opening minute of the round, stalking Charlo and unleashing a hard right to the bicep and a ripping right hand to the body. Charlo is responding well so far absorbing the shots, but he’s not responding by delivering hard shots of his own. An easy round for Álvarez, who doesn’t usually look to win too many in the opening stanzas.
Round 1: Canelo and Charlo open with limited punches
Round 1: After both Canelo Álvarez and Jermell Charlo made fairly subdued ring entrances, the same could be said for their performance in the ring to begin the bout. Both fighters had a feeling-out-round by every sense of the definition — only 23 punches were thrown during the round and each fighter connected on only one punch. Not much happened outside of a solid Canelo body shot. The most eye-catching shot? Charlo’s sparkling trunks.
Ring walks are under way
We’re closing in on the main event, with ring walks under way in Las Vegas.
Erickson Lubin lands odd unanimous decision victory over Jesus Ramos Jr.
The co-main event between Jesus Ramos Jr. and Erickson Lubin was arguably the best fight on paper Saturday night, but the crossroads clash didn’t quite live up to chief support billing.
And then the bout delivered head-scratching scores and a surprise decision from the judges.
After two exciting fights that preceded them on the pay-per-view portion of the card, Ramos appeared to deliver a simple, workmanlike win in the 12-round super welterweight scrap.
But Lubin was awarded the victory instead in an odd and highly tactical and technical fight.
Judges scored the contest 117-111, 116-112, and 115-113 in favor of Lubin — and a score of frustrated fans awarded the fighters with a chorus of boos throughout the latter stages of the fight as well as the final decision.
Judges had Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) winning the fight fairly convincingly throughout the second half of the contest as Ramos eased on his efforts.
Ramos (20-1, 16 KOs) landed 145 of 499 of his total punches and Lubin landed 92 of 532.
“It’s boxing 101 — I was hitting and not getting hit,” Lubin said. “I fought at my pace. I didn’t let him do too much. I won the fight. I’m tired of being called a gatekeeper. I am one of the top dogs in the division.”
A confused yet graceful Ramos was somewhat at a loss for words.
“I’ll learn from this. It was a great experience,” Ramos said.
Mario Barrios drops Yordenis Ugas twice, scores unanimous decision win
Yordenis Ugas and Mario Barrios entered their battle jockeying for position in the welterweight rankings.
Barrios ultimately edged and outpointed Ugas, dropping the former Manny Pacquiao conquer twice along the way during a workhorse-like performance.
Barrios (28-2, 18 KOs) bludgeoned Ugas’ (27-6, 12 KOs) right eye throughout the fight with a prolific jab, pulling away in the second half of what started off as a close and competitive fight.
Judges scored the contest 117-108, 118-107, and 118-107, and Barrios was awarded the interim WBC welterweight title for his efforts.
“It was unbelievable with all of the work that I put in. We had a great camp, and I was prepared,” said Barrios. “It wasn’t about his eye … I was just trying to listen to my corner and snap the jab.”
Barrios landed 193 of 810 of his shots compared to 101 of 484 from Ugas — 107 of the punches Barios landed were jabs.
The 37-year-old Ugas was fighting for the first time since April 2022 when he suffered a stoppage loss due to a fractured right orbital bone against Errol Spence Jr.
As the second half of the fight unfolded, Ugas’ right eye started to swell again from Barrios’ barrage of jabs.
The 28-year-old Barrios first dropped the former 147-pound titleholder Ugas with a flash knockdown in the second round with a perfectly timed jab.
After Ugas rallied from the knockdown, he showed a sense of urgency and regained some of the lost momentum, winning some rounds along the way.
But the San Antonio born and bred Barrios again dropped the Cuban Ugas in the 12th round.
Too brave for his own good, the prideful Ugas picked himself back up from the canvas, but then was docked a point after his mouthpiece dropped twice.
Before the start of the 10th round, referee Thomas Taylor requested a ringside physician to assess Ugas’ eye, and the doctor gave Ugas the blessing to continue.
The same sequence ensued before the 11th and 12th rounds.
Ugas ultimately survived to hear the last bell, but at what cost remains to be seen.
Elijah Garcia scores stoppage win over Armando Reséndiz
Heavy leather was flying fast and furiously featuring a pair of touted prospects to kick off the pay-per-view card headlined by Canelo Álvarez and Jermell Charlo.
Elijah Garcia, a 20-year-old Phoenix-based phenom, overpowered and outlasted Armando Reséndiz. Garcia dropped and stopped Reséndiz in the eighth round of the middleweight firefight.
Garcia (16-0, 13 KOs) knocked down Reséndiz (14-2, 10 KOs) with a ripping right hook to the body and right hook to the chin combination. Garcia then impressively closed the show by cornering Garcia and unleashing a barrage of punches, forcing referee Tony Weeks to step in and stop the scrap at the 1:28 mark of the matchup.
It was a splendid slugfest. Both boxers were buckled in a phone-booth-type bout that took almost exclusively in the center of the ring. Head movement and defense did not appear to be a priority for either fighter, as they tucked their chin and banged away with brute force.
Garcia connected on 216 of 609 shots, while Reséndiz landed 166 of 728.
Garcia called it the toughest fight of his career after the clash came to a close.
“He’s really really tough, but I was able to finish the job,” Garcia said. “I think I am getting better with every single fight. I just have to get better with every single fight as I get ready for that world title shot.”
Garcia repeatedly snapped the head back of Reséndiz, who appeared to have magical rejuvenation powers in the tit-for-tat scrap.
Reséndiz gave Garcia all that he could handle, marking up his face.
But Garcia started separating himself more noticeably from Reséndiz as the fight moved on by unleashing heavy combinations to land the victory.
These celebrities are slated to attend Canelo Álvarez vs. Jermell Charlo fight
Nothing brings the stars out in Las Vegas quite like a big boxing match.
Here are the celebrities and notable figures scheduled to attend the battle between undisputed champions Canelo Álvarez and Jermell Charlo at the T-Mobile Arena, according to a list shared by Showtime.
J. Balvin, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Mark Wahlberg, Chris Brown, Mario Lopez, Mark Davis, Michael Irvin, Tyronn Lue, Stephen Jackson, Pato O’Ward, Brandon Marshall, Larry Fitzgerald, Dave Bautista and Sway Calloway, among others.
Many of boxing’s top stars will also be sitting ringside, including Terence Crawford, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo, Claressa Shields, Shawn Porter, Leo Santa Cruz and Isaac Cruz, among others.
Tale of the tape between Canelo Álvarez vs. Jermell Charlo
Canelo Álvarez
Age: 33 (July 18, 1990)
Hometown: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Record: 59-2-2, 39 KOs
Full name: Saul Álvarez
Nickname: Canelo
World championship fights: 20-2-1, 11 KOs
Championships: Super welterweight (154 pounds), middleweight (160 pounds), super middleweight (168 pounds), light heavyweight (175 pounds)
Total rounds fought: 472
Knockout Ratio: 66.1%
Height: 5-foot-8
Reach: 70.5 inches
Weight: 167.4 pounds
Stance: Right-handed
Manager / Trainer: Eddy Reynoso
Turned Professional: 2005
Notable wins: Gennady Golovkin (two wins; one draw), Caleb Plant, Billy Joe Saunders, Callum Smith, Sergey Kovalev, Daniel Jacobs, John Ryder, Rocky Fielding, Julio César Chávez Jr., Liam Smith, Amir Khan, Miguel Cotto, James Kirkland, Erislandy Lara, Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout, Josesito López, Shane Mosley, Kermit Cintrón, Matthew Hatton.
Jermell Charlo
Age: 33 (May 19, 1990)
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Record: 33-1-1, 19 KOs
Nickname: Iron Man
Championships: Super welterweight (154 pounds)
Total rounds fought: 256
Knockout Ratio: 54.2%
Height: 6 feet
Reach: 73 inches
Weight: 167.4 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Trainer: Derrick James
Manager: Al Haymon
Turned Professional: 2007
Notable wins: Brian Castaño (one draw), Tony Harrison (one loss), Jeison Rosario, Austin Trout, Erickson Lubin, Vanes Martirosyan, Gabriel Rosado, Jorge Cota
Fighting words from Canelo Álvarez and Jermell Charlo
The matchup between Canelo Álvarez and Jermell Charlo has been nearly a decade in the making.
Although Charlo has historically been known for his brash and unapologetic trash talk, he’s been respectful of Álvarez throughout the buildup of the battle.
Here’s what both fighters have had to say.
Canelo Álvarez
“I always want to make the best fights out there. I’m excited to be in this fight. This is a fight that people have talked about for a while. I’m excited to show Charlo my skills. Now Jermell is gonna feel my skills.”
“I think Jermell Charlo is the perfect fight right now. He’s been calling me out for a long time and I never forget. He’s said a lot of things. He never believed in my skills, but he’s gonna find out soon. Him and his brother didn’t believe in my skills and that motivates me for this fight.”
“We always prepare 100% no matter where we are. It’s different being here. At the beginning, I couldn’t breathe very well. But right now, I feel great. I’ve found a place that’s made me happy and strong.”
Can Jermell Charlo upset Canelo Álvarez? Boxing experts predict the outcome of the title bout Saturday night in Las Vegas.
“Charlo will be good at 168 pounds. I’ve made that jump before so I know. I think that when you’re a great champion like he is, it doesn’t matter.”
“These kinds of fights motivate me. I like being underestimated. That’s what makes me excited for this fight.”
“I always believe that I’m number one. My whole career. Because you need to believe in yourself. I still believe I’m number one. But I believe there is more than just one fighter alone at the top, there are a few.”
“I still feel young and fresh. I never think about the end of my career. I just train and fight year after year. I still feel that I’m at my best.”
A ‘strange combination of factors’ has led to Canelo Álvarez not fighting on Mexican Independence Day for the first time since 2009, opening the door for UFC.
“I’m very proud to represent Mexico. I have a lot of pride in my country. I feel amazing when I walk into the ring and see all the Mexican flags and hear the Mexican music. It feels great to represent my country.”
“I feel great. This is really one of the best camps I’ve ever had. I feel great to be able to train 100% now with my left hand. That’s made me more confident. When you train knowing that you’re healthy, you’ll be more confident in the fight.”
“I like being here in Lake Tahoe because I’m 100% focused. It’s just me and my team and we’re focused on the fight. It makes me feel ready for the fight.”
Jermell Charlo
“I’ve been doing this my whole life and now it’s time to put on for my city. Put up or shut up and do what I do. I’m facing one of the best fighters in the world, you have to be excited for this moment.”
“Now is the right time for this fight. We’re in our primes and at our best. I wanna shake the doubters off and prove to the world why I’m in this position. There’s a reason I made it this far. I’m gonna show what I’m made of. Everything I’ve done since I was eight years old, I’m putting it all on the line now.”
“I’m not going to have to worry about losing too much weight. I’ve been sparring bigger guys for a very long time and now it’s about bringing that same mindset that I have at 154 pounds and bringing it up with me to 168 pounds.”
Who is Jermell Charlo, the boxer who will try to challenge Canelo Álvarez for the undisputed super-middleweight crown in Las Vegas on Saturday night?
“Of course there’s pressure. We have to be dominant and not just rely on a knockout. I have to beat him for 12 rounds. I have to do what I have to do in the ring to protect myself while still being vicious.”
“This is a dream come true, just like winning undisputed, winning a world title and making it out the mud was. Once you get this far and see yourself prospering, you just want to keep bringing it. I’m staying focused on handling business.”
“We’ve done so much sparring and conditioning. I’m working on the mental as well, because I know it’s not only about the physical. I’ve been training 14 weeks and making sure I do everything I need to.”
“I just have to stay hungry. And I’ve been hungry. I would’ve fought Canelo years ago, and it probably wouldn’t have been as big as it is now. But I’m not too focused on being in the ring with Canelo, I’m just hungry. I want to win this fight for my city.”
“If I accomplish this massive goal, it’ll be hard to top. I’ll be in the record book with the greats of boxing for a long time.”
“I’m so dialed in as far as my team and everyone around me. I just need to get in the ring and do what I have to do.”
Everything you need to know about Jermell Charlo
Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Álvarez has had many desirable dance partners in recent years, and the latest one is Jermell Charlo. Their bout was more than a decade in the making.
Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) is the current undisputed 154-pound champion eager to prove his skills, moving up two weight classes to challenge Álvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) for the 168-pound crown.
Charlo will be looking to repeat what Álvarez accomplished in 2019 when he moved up two weight classes — 160 pounds to 175 pounds — to knock out Sergey Kovalev.
Charlo and Álvarez, both 33 years old, have been linked to a potential pitting dating back to their days tied to Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. Both boxers competed at 154 pounds from 2011 and 2016, but the fight was never marinated enough to be made because Álvarez’s career ascended faster than Charlo’s.
When the matchup was finally announced earlier this summer, it came as a major surprise because Charlo’s twin brother Jermall, a 160-pound titlist, was long considered to be the frontrunner to land the bout.
But Jermall was not fit to fight, and Jermell stepped up to the plate.
The Houston native Charlo has not fought since stopping Brian Castaño in May 2022 to claim the super welterweight throne. In December, Charlo broke his left hand while preparing for a since-scrapped bout against Tim Tszyu.
By the time Charlo steps into the ring, he’ll have to overcome a 16-month layoff.
In comparison, during that same span, Álvarez has fought three times — a loss to Dmitry Bivol, and a pair of unanimous decision wins against Gennadiy Golovkin and John Ryder.
Experts predict the winner of Canelo Álvarez vs. Jermell Charlo
We reached out to media members who cover boxing and asked them to share their predictions for the fight between Canelo Álvarez vs. Jermell Charlo. They offered the following projections.
Charlo will carry the weight well and compete with Álvarez over the first half of the bout, but I think the Mexican veteran’s smart pressure, accurate counterpunching and choice body shots will take a toll on the Texan by Round 7 or 8. Charlo is a warrior, so I expect him to go out on his shield. Álvarez via late knockout.
— Doug Fischer, editor in chief, Ring Magazine
I think Charlo is being vastly underrated by most of the public and this is a lot harder fight for Álvarez than most believe. But I think Álvarez is the better fighter of the two. After a slow start, he’ll start to walk Charlo down. I think he pulls away in the second half and wins a unanimous decision.
— Kevin Iole, boxing and MMA columnist, Yahoo Sports
Jesus Ramos Jr. vs. Erickson Lubin featured on Canelo Álvarez vs. Jermell Charlo undercard
The pay-per-view card headlined by Canelo Álvarez vs. Jermell Charlo will begin at 5 p.m. PDT and will be complemented by three other fights.
The co-main event will feature a 12-round super welterweight scrap between Jesus Ramos Jr. (20-0, 16 KOs) and Erickson Lubin (25-2, 18 KOs).
Preceding that will be a fight for the interim WBC welterweight title featuring former Manny Pacquiao-conqueror Yordenis Ugas (27-5, 12 KOs) taking on Mario Barrios (27-2, 18 KOs).
Kicking off the card will be prospects Elijah Garcia (15-0, 12 KOs) and Armando Reséndiz (14-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight matchup.
The night of fights will start on the Showtime Sports YouTube channel stream with three preliminary bouts starting at 2:30 p.m. PDT.
- Frank Sanchez (22-0, 15 KOs) vs Scott Alexander (17-5-2, 9 KOs) – heavyweights, 10 rounds
- Oleksandr Gvozdyk (19-1, 15 KOs) vs Isaac Rodrigues (28-4, 22 KOs) – light heavyweights – 8 rounds
- Terrell Gausha (23-3-1, 12 KOs) vs KeAndrae Leatherwood (23-8-1, 13 KOs) – middleweight, 8 rounds
Other non-televised undercard action includes:
- Curmel Moton (pro debut) vs Ezequiel Flores (4-0, 3 KOS) – super featherweights, 6 rounds
- Justin Viloria (3-0, 3 KOs) vs Angel Barrera (4-2, 0 KOs) – super featherweights, 6 rounds
- Abilkhan Amankul (4-0, 4 KOs) vs Joeshon James (7-0-1, 4 KOs) – middleweights, 6 rounds
- Bek Nurmaganbet (10-0, 8 KOs) vs Abimbola Osundairo (5-0, 3 KOs) – super middleweights, 6 rounds
- Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela (27-3-1, 16 KOs) vs Yeis Gabriel Solano (15-2, 10 KOs) – super lightweights, 8 rounds
Canelo Álvarez vs. Jermell Charlo betting odds
Canelo Álvarez is a -475 betting favorite and Jermell Charlo is a +350 betting underdog, according to DraftKings.
The over/under for number of rounds the fight will span is 10.5.
A full breakdown of up-to-minute odds, menu of bets and methods of victory can be seen here.
Watch: Exclusive interviews with Canelo Álvarez and Jermell Charlo
I sat down with Canelo Álvarez and Jermell Charlo for one-on-one interviews ahead of their undisputed super middleweight title fight.
Álvarez discussed why “everything” Charlo presents is a challenge, the reasoning behind his training camp relocation to Lake Tahoe, being open to a 168-pound fight with welterweight king Terence Crawford and his new business venture.
Charlo shared how he plans to overcome competing at two weight classes above his usual weight, broke down Álvarez’s best performance to date and previewed how he plans to navigate his career moving forward.
Canelo Álvarez’s decline is inevitable. Is there anyone to take his mantle in boxing?
LAS VEGAS — Several times Wednesday, during the final news conference before his fight Saturday against Jermell Charlo, Canelo Álvarez was referred to as boxing’s biggest superstar. Not the best. Not the most electrifying. But its biggest active star. It’s a fact.
It’s a title Álvarez has held in the eight years since Floyd Mayweather Jr. last fought a boxer in a professional bout, cornering the Mexican and Mexican American markets to a degree not seen since Oscar De La Hoya at the turn of the century while becoming the most mainstream name — non-YouTuber, exhibition fighter division — in the business.
He reached the pedestal with a distinct red look, a reserved manner, a well-calculated approach, and consistent success. He possesses the power to change lives simply by picking an opponent to collect a paycheck they wouldn’t see otherwise. It’s the underlying motivation for Charlo’s decision to jump two weight classes to fight Álvarez. The money, he determined, is more than worth the risk.
Jermell Charlo eager to prove his skills and worth against Canelo Álvarez
LAS VEGAS — Three days before the biggest fight of his life, Jermell Charlo, normally a braggadocious, high-energy personality in the public eye, was measured.
He didn’t downplay Canelo Álvarez’s accomplishments during Wednesday’s news conference before the two undisputed champions meet in the ring Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. He didn’t suggest, as many observers have, that Álvarez’s skills are on the decline. He didn’t predict pummeling Álvarez.
But Charlo made one thing clear: Underestimate him at your own peril.
Canelo Álvarez isn’t fighting on Mexican Independence Day for first time in years. Here’s why
A familiar sight will unfold in Las Vegas on Sept. 16: Mexicans descending on the city for a fight card headlined by a Mexican star on Mexican Independence Day weekend. It’s become a raucous annual pilgrimage going on 30 years, since Julio César Chávez stopped Meldrick Taylor at the MGM Grand in 1994.
But this year comes with a twist. An octagon, not a boxing ring, will be center stage when the UFC hosts an event on the Mexican holiday for the first time in its history. The main event will have Mexican Alexa Grasso, the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound women’s fighter, put her flyweight title on the line in a rematch against Valentina Shevchenko at T-Mobile Arena.
Boxing, for at least one year, has been boxed out from staging the biggest fight card in Las Vegas that night, allowing for a significant milestone for Dana White and his booming mixed martial arts promotion.
“Dana White‘s been saying for 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, how important having Mexican fighters in the UFC, how important the Mexican and Mexican American markets are to the combat sports space,” UFC COO Lawrence Epstein said. “And so what we’re doing this weekend is simply a manifestation of that goal and that strategy that he’s laid out.”
Boxing wasn’t supposed to surrender this weekend. Canelo Álvarez has been the preeminent choice to fight in Las Vegas on the two most important Mexican fight weekends — Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo — since ascending to stardom over a decade ago, winning world titles in four different weight classes. He grabbed the baton from Floyd Mayweather Jr. who took it from Oscar De La Hoya who snatched it from Chávez. This year, however, he’s fighting Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas two weeks after Mexican Independence Day.
How to watch the Canelo Álvarez vs. Jermell Charlo fight
The fight between Canelo Álvarez vs. Jermell Charlo will be produced by Showtime and can be purchased for $84.99 from the premium cable provider.
The event can also be ordered digitally via PPV.com for the same price. Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Lampley will be hosting an interactive chat on the platform, which will carry the Showtime feed and feature the network’s commentary crew.
The PPV portion of the fight card begins at 5 p.m. PDT.
If you’re in Las Vegas and want to be ringside at the T-Mobile Arena, tickets can be purchased through AXS.com.
To watch the fights at a bar or restaurant, the Joe Hand Promotions website lists local establishments that are carrying the card. Plug in your zip code and call ahead for information about any cover charges or reservations.
Want to switch things up and watch the fight at a movie theater instead? You can. Tickets as well as a complete list of theater locations nationwide showing the fight are available via Fathom Events.