Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga live fight updates: Mexican hero retains unified 168-pound title on points

Mexican superstar Canelo Álvarez scored a one-sided 12-round unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Edgar Berlanga and retained his unified super middleweight title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. The official scores were 118-109, 118-109 and 117-111.

Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) dropped Berlanga with a beautiful lead left hook in round three. It was a flush shot but not a fight ender as evidenced by the round of applause that Berlanga gave his opponent as soon as he hit the deck. The challenger rose gamely and had his moments but he was largely outclassed.

“They said I fight older fighters, now they’ll say I fight younger fighters,” jibed Canelo during his post-fight interview with Prime Video. “They always talk… I’m the best fighter in the world.

“[Berlanga] said he respects me and that I’m his idol. He said he feels bad with the way he acts [during the buildup]. He did good. I got angry [in the fight]. I’m Mexican, man. It’s an honor to fight for my country.”

A composed Berlanga took center ring in round one and kept his left hand in the champ’s face. It was more range-finder than power jab, so Canelo was able to whip in the body shots, but it was still a good start from the underdog.

The action heated up in the third with the knockdown and the crowd went wild. For a moment it looked like Berlanga had lost his composure when he got up because he was swinging from his heels as Canelo sought the finish. The New York-based Puerto Rican was lucky not to ship a huge counter and managed to get through the round.

From there Canelo was largely in control of the contest. Berlanga picked up round seven, which the champion took off, but he couldn’t score the massive direct hit needed to turn things around. Canelo absorbed anything that came his way and only got irritated when Berlanga was free with the head in rounds eight and eleven.

Knowing he needed a miracle, Berlanga went all out in the twelfth and final round. He scored with power shots and shipped some counters in a gallant last stand. And despite all the bad blood that preceded the bout, both men hugged it out at the bell.

This was Canelo's 26 th win in a world title fight. What’s next? We won’t hold our breath for David Benavidez, but other options exist. The Mexican star has said more than once that a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, who defeated him in 2022, remains on his wish list.

If Bivol beats Artur Beterbiev next month, the Canelo return would presumably be for the undisputed light heavyweight championship and that would be a huge event.

Berlanga falls to 22-1 (17 KOs) but he’s only 27 years old and has a bright future ahead of him.

“I fought a legend tonight,” said the Puerto Rican knockout artist. “I looked up to [Canelo] when I was growing up as an amateur. I said that humbly to him. I’d like to thank Team Canelo for the opportunity. He’s the king!”

The Sporting News will provide live updates from the entire card and round-by-round scoring for the main event.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga live updates, highlights, and commentary

Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga: SN live scorecard

AND STILL THE UNIFIED SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD... CANELO ALVAREZ!!! DOMINANT PERFORMANCE FROM THE MEXICAN HERO WHO LOOKED VERY GOOD. BERLANGA'S STOCK GOES UP FOLLOWING A BRAVE EFFORT IN DEFEAT. OFFICIAL SCORES ARE 118-109, 118-109 AND 117-110.

Round 12: It's been a game effort from Berlanga and he's letting his hands go in the final round. Good right from the Puerto Rican challenger. Uppercut from Berlanga. Canelo responds with a terrific combination on the inside. A right from Berlanga. Uppercut from Canelo and the pair trade wildly until the final bell. Huge hugs and respect from both. Entertaining scrap but there's only one winner.

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Berlanga (118-109 Canelo)

Round 11: Canelo is desperate for the KO and unloads. Berlanga soaks it up and goes for another headbutt. He's warned again. Berlanga appears to hurt his right arm, which Canelo has been pounding all night. The challenger's mouthpiece comes out but they're still fighting. Canelo inflicting a brutal body beating. Berlanga throws some great shots with the right but he's paid back in full by a rampaging Canelo.

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (109-99 Canelo)

Round 10: Left hook from Canelo and a nice right hand return from Berlanga. The pace slows again. Solid left hook to the body scores from the champion. Nice sharp right uppercut on the inside. Right hands landing cleanly from Canelo on the inside. Left hook-right uppercut by Canelo. Stunning stuff! Left uppercut from Berlanga but he's being clobbered. Berlanga talking to Canelo during exchanges. Canelo thought the bell rang but it was the warning for the last 10 seconds. Berlanga takes advantage and scores a left hook. Bad blood in the ring!!!

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (99-90 Canelo)

Round 9: Strong right from Canelo... and another one. Berlanga's left is FAR TOO LOW. More dirty stuff inside from both men. Canelo is marching forward, bobbing and weaving, looking to draw the lead. Berlanga is reticent to make a mistake but he's being outworked. Canelo putting everything into his shots and Berlanga firing back. Big round for Canelo.

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (89-81 Canelo)

Round 8: Canelo pops home the jab with a bit more regularity and snaps the right hand to the body. Big left hand by Canelo. Jab again from Berlanga. Left hand to the body by Canelo. Both me trade inside and it's quality work. Berlanga butts Canelo, who then nails the challenger on the break. Right uppercut counter from Canelo and a combination to the body. Good action here. Canelo goes wide with his shots and Berlanga evades them, but he takes a hook to the body.

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (79-72 Canelo)

Round 7: Left hook to the body from Berlanga as Canelo adopts the defensive shell. Canelo warned for a low blow. Jab from Berlanga. Great defense from the champion who is just so hard to nail cleanly. Canelo's pace has slowed. Jab scores again from Canelo. Jab from Berlanga, who then slips to the canvas after a missed right.

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Berlanga (69-63 Canelo)

Round 6: Berlanga retreats consistently and Canelo cuts off the escape routes. Every now and again the challenger finds himself on the ropes and takes a shellacking to the body. Right hand lands for Berlanga and pushes Canelo back momentarily. Jab from Berlanga, but he's taking too many to the body. Jab pops him from Canelo. The pace has slowed but the crowd are still into this fight in a big way.

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (60-53 Canelo)

Round 5: Rough stuff on the inside as Canelo holds Berlanga around the neck and blasts him to the body. Canelo is furious and attacks heavily to the body. The champ is looking for a knockout and he's not being made to pay... at all. Big left to the body from Canelo and Berlanga beginning to look outgunned. Power jab from Canelo.

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (50-44 Canelo)

Round 4: Slower round as Berlanga is understandably more cautious after being dropped for the first time in his career. Canelo keeping him at bay with the left jab. Berlanga's left hand is way down and he better beware Canelo's right hand. He can't afford another mistake.

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 (40-35 Canelo)

Round 3: It's a tactical fight right now. Berlanga looks HUGE compared to Canelo. Both men trade at long range. BERLANGA FLOORED OFF THE LEFT HOOK AND APPLAUDS BEFORE GETTING UP!!!  ANOTHER LEFT FROM CANELO! Berlanga falling into old habits and goes wild, leaving him open to counterpunching. HUGE ROUND for Canelo.

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-8 Canelo (30-26 Canelo)

Round 2: Berlanga using the left to measure Canelo but not scoring. The Puerto Rican looks fearful of the counter. Body shot again by Canelo. Berlanga blocks the left hook nicely but catches a right to the body. Sharp left from Berlanga. Canelo misses wildly with the left. Left hook-right hand from Canelo. Berlanga firing back. Berlanga just misses with a HUGE right. Left to the body by Berlanga and a jab. The challenger may not be winning rounds but he's boxing very well.

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo (20-18 Canelo)

Round 1: Slow start with both men taking ring center. Light jab from Canelo and a left hook lead, neither landing. Left hook-right hand attempt from Berlanga. Strong right to the body by the Mexican superstar. The challenger responds with a left hook upstairs. Solid jab from Canelo. Berlanga boxing smart and being cautious. The jab from Canelo again.

SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Canelo

8:14 p.m. PT/ 11:14 p.m. ET: The national anthems are underway and the fighters are about to commence their ringwalks. We will now switch to round-by-round scoring for Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga for the unified super middleweight championship of the world.

7:59 p.m. PT/ 10:59 p.m. ET: OK, the co-main event was a MAJOR disappointment, but we now turn our attention to a potentially thunderous collision between unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and authentic knockout artist Edgar Berlanga. FOLKS, IT'S TIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT!!!

AND STILL THE WBA MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD... ERISLANDY LARA. THE RESULT IS A NINTH-ROUND TKO. THAT SHOULD BE THE END OF DANNY GARCIA'S CAREER.

7:45 p.m. PT/ 10:45 p.m. ET: An almost delicate left hand from Lara puts Garcia over near the end of round nine. The bell rings, Garcia returns to his corner, and his father stops the fight. The result is a ninth-round stoppage. A horrible fight that should never have happened.

7:41 p.m. PT/ 10:41 p.m. ET: In round eight, Garcia attempts to go to the body and has some success. However, it's small solace as Lara lands his most effective combination of the fight. A left-right-left combination snaps the challenger's head back.

7:36 p.m. PT/ 10:36 p.m. ET: We're through seven rounds and without hyperbole, we're looking at one of the worst world title fights in years. It's even giving Zolani Tete vs. Omar Narvaez a run for its money. Lara is dominating behind the jab and Garcia can't get a thing done. Horrible fight!

7:25 p.m. PT/ 10:25 p.m. ET: It's round four and Garcia has a small cut near his left eye from a clash of heads. The right jab remains the controlling punch from the champion, but the fight is the stuff of nightmares for the fans right now. Garcia is yet to land a significant punch.

7:16 p.m. PT/ 10:16 p.m. ET: Nice straight left-right jab combination by Lara in round two. Garcia is struggling to pull the trigger, which will be down to ring rust and Lara's superlative distance control. The crowd are restless already because the action is pedestrian.

7:13 p.m. PT/ 10:13 p.m. ET: Round one is over and Lara's right jab was the dominant punch of the round. Very slow-paced and Garcia, showing signs of ring rust, struggling to get distance.

7:06 p.m. PT/ 10:06 p.m. ET: Both fighters are in the ring and Jimmy Lennon Jr. is giving the introductions. Lara is 30-3-3 (18 KOs) while Garcia is 37-3 (21 KOs).

7:00 p.m. PT/ 10:00 p.m. ET: The co-main event is next. Cuban lefty and WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara makes an unlikely title defense against former two-weight world champion Danny Garcia. This is Garcia's first fight in over two years and his first significant bout above the welterweight limit.

THE WINNER IS CALEB PLANT, WHO GETS BACK IN THE WIN COLUMN FOLLOWING HIS POINTS LOSS TO DAVID BENAVIDEZ LAST YEAR. McCUMBY COVERED HIMSELF IN GLORY FOLLOWING A GUTSY EFFORT.

6:46 p.m. PT/ 9:46 p.m. ET: Plant hurts McCumby with a vicious left hook to the body in round nine. The ex-champ senses the moment and unloads with a multi-punch combination, switching levels and varying the attacks. McCumby STILL firing back and looks very dangerous. WOW!!!! PLANT UNLOADS A SERIES OF BLASTING RIGHTS AND LEFTS THAT HURT McCUMBY AGAINST THE ROPES. The referee jumps in and stops the fight as the round ends.

6:41 p.m. PT/ 9:41 p.m. ET: We're through eight rounds and Plant has taken command. The McCumby attacks have been tempered for now and he's struggling to produce the quality work from earlier in the fight.

6:34 p.m. PT/ 9:34 p.m. ET: Plant is now blasting McCumby with everything in the book and taunting him in round six. MASSIVE LEFT HOOK LANDS FROM PLANT. Ever since he took away McCumby's rush room, this has been a different fight.

6:29 p.m. PT/ 9:29 p.m. ET: It's round five and we see a clear tactical switch up from Plant, who takes the action to the inside and enjoys real success, pounding his man to the body and mixing in an effective right uppercut. McCumby was trapped against the ropes for most of the round.

6:25 p.m. PT/ 9:25 p.m. ET: DOWN GOES CALEB PLANT FROM A SOLID LEFT HAND TO THE MID-SECTION IN ROUND FOUR. The shot landed on the biceps but it knocked the former champ over. It's a 10-8 round for the snow-white underdog and Plant is in serious trouble.

6:21 p.m. PT/ 9:21 p.m. ET: Plant goes over again early in the third when the fighters brawl on the inside. Again it's no knockdown, but Plant is uncomfortable here. McCumby even found time to taunt the former champion. Jab working well from Plant, but the McCumby rushes are throwing off his timing. The left hook lands from Plant at the bell.

6:17 p.m. PT/ 9:17 p.m. ET: The crowd get excited when McCumby bundles Plant into a corner, but the feet were tied up following a light exchange. A sharp combination from Plant sends the sweat spraying from McCumby's head. BIG LEFT HOOK HURTS PLANT ON THE BELL AT THE END OF ROUND TWO! WOW!!!

6:14 p.m. PT/ 9:14 p.m. ET: The class difference is clear at the end of round one. Plant is just warming up and he's already finding the target with ominous regularity. McCumby backs up throughout the round and doesn't appear interested in engaging. A solid left hook landed late in the round from Plant.

5:59 p.m. PT/ 8:59 p.m. ET: Next up is former super middleweight champion Caleb Plant versus the unheralded Trevor McCumby. The massive odds in Plant's favor suggest that this will be the first knockout victory of the pay-per-view broadcast. Let's see!!!

THE WINNER IS ROLLY ROMERO, WHO GETS BACK IN THE WIN COLUMN WITH A 10-ROUND UNANIMOUS DECISION. ALL THREE JUDGES SCORED THE FIGHT 99-91.

5:54 p.m. PT/ 8:54 p.m. ET: The sloppy action continues in the tenth and final round. Blood comes from Rolly's mouth and he takes a nice right hand from Jaimes. It's been a very poor fight to watch and not one you could sit through twice. It's just been a bad clash of styles. It's over and the decision should go to Rolly.

5:46 p.m. PT/ 8:46 p.m. ET: Some of the best action of the fight came in the final minute of round eight. Romero targeted the body with some terrific power shots and kept his hands moving. Eager to respond, Jaimes nailed his man with a sharp left to the chin. Still, he's way behind now and needs to produce something BIG.

5:42 p.m. PT/ 8:42 p.m. ET: Rolly Romero came to the ring in a yellow and black outfit inspired by the Bruce Lee movie Game of Death. He needs to channel the late martial arts icon and switch styles because Jaimes is proving troublesome. We're through seven rounds and while he's winning, Rolly's performance is impressing no one.

5:33 p.m. PT/ 8:33 p.m. ET: Romero's timing is still way off and his attacks are disorganised in round five. Luckily for him, Jaimes has little in the way of offensive imagination and he's falling behind on points. Jaimes scores a nice right hand but takes one back. Romero backing off now and occasionally dropping in the left hook counter as Jaimes rushes in.

5:26 p.m. PT/ 8:26 p.m. ET: A BIG RIGHT UPPERCUT SCORES FOR ROMERO IN ROUND THREE. Some heavy shots landed between very messy exchanges. Encouraging to see Rolly's power come to the forefront but nothing resembling a serious breakthrough.

5:18 p.m. PT/ 8:18 p.m. ET: Nothing significant landed by either fighter in the opening round. Rolly struggling to find his distance right now and Jaimes edging forward behind a high guard.

5:12 p.m. PT/ 8:12 p.m. ET: Both fighters are in the ring and it's time for the Rolly show. Can Romero post an impressive win following his brutal stoppage loss at the hands of Pitbull Cruz, or will Jaimes spring the big upset?

5:00 p.m. PT/ 8:00 p.m. ET: Next up is former WBA super lightweight titleholder Rolly Romero against Manuel Jaimes. This is the first bout of the main card and is scheduled for 10 rounds.

THE WINNER IS STEPHEN FULTON, WHO GETS BACK IN THE WIN COLUMN WITH A 10-ROUND SPLIT DECISION WIN OVER CARLOS CASTRO. SCORES ARE 96-93, 95-94 AND 94-95.

4:43 p.m. PT/ 7:43 p.m. ET: Terrific effort from Fulton in the final round. The former champion nailed Castro with an assortment of flush power punches and may have done enough to win the decision. We go to the scorecards after an excellent fight!

4:39 p.m. PT/ 7:39 p.m. ET: Round nine featured some great action. Neither fighter can be confident that they're ahead on points, so we should see a huge effort from both in the final round.

4:35 p.m. PT/ 7:35 p.m. ET: Blood has been oozing from Fulton's nose since the early rounds, a product of Castro's jab. ANOTHER BIG RIGHT NAILS FULTON IN ROUND EIGHT! He's more hurt this time than he was from the knockdown. Desperate moments for the former champion who is warned for holding by the referee. Castro is close to pulling off the biggest win of his career.

4:29 p.m. PT/ 7:29 p.m. ET: Eager to reassert himself, Fulton posts an excellent round six. The former champ scores well on the jab and opens up with a strong multi-punch combination at center ring. The knockdown seems to have awakened Fulton, and this was the first time there was a clear difference in class.

4:24 p.m. PT/ 7:24 p.m. ET: WOW, DOWN GOES FULTON FROM A SHORT RIGHT HAND COUNTER PUNCH IN ROUND FIVE. Fulton is up and on the retreat, but Castro is in hot pursuit. Good right from Fulton at the end of the round but it's a 10-8 round for Castro.

4:20 p.m. PT/ 7:20 p.m. ET: This is Fulton's debut at featherweight and Castro is comfortably walking through the punches. However, the American is edging the rounds with a sharp jab and some effective counterpunching. We're through four rounds with six to go.

4:10 p.m. PT/ 7:10 p.m. ET: Former unified super bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton is in the ring for the first time since his brutal eighth-round stoppage loss to Naoya Inoue. The opponent is Mexican contender Carlos Castro, who has been outboxed through the first two rounds.

2:00 p.m. PT/ 5:00 p.m. ET: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez defending his unified super middleweight championship against hard-hitting Puerto Rican contender Edgar Berlanga. We're in the countdown!!!

Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga start time

• Date : Saturday, Sept. 14
• Time: 8 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. PT
• Main event start time (approx.): 11:30 p.m. ET | 8:30 p.m. PT
• Location : T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas

The Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga main card airs at 8 p.m. ET. Canelo and Berlanga should make their way to the ring around 11:30 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.

Where to watch Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga

• Live stream/TV Channel: DAZN | Prime Video
• PPV price: $89.99

Canelo vs. Berlanga is available on DAZN PPV and Prime Video in the U.S. The PPV price is $89.99.

WATCH: Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga, live on DAZN

Purchase the PPV for $89.99 and get one month of DAZN free with an annual subscription. Buy the PPV and enjoy a free 7-day trial ahead of Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois on September 21.

Prime Video is available for existing Prime customers and those new to the platform. Subscribers can choose from multiple membership plans with discounts available for students. Prime also offers a free 30-day trial.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga fight card

• Canelo Alvarez (c) vs. Edgar Berlanga for the WBA, WBC, WBO and Ring Magazine super middleweight titles
• Erislandy Lara (c) def. Danny Garcia via TKO 9 for the WBA middleweight title
• Caleb Plant def. Trevor McCumby via TKO 9 for the interim WBA super middleweight title
• Rolando Romero def. Manuel Jaimes via UD 10 (99-91, 99-91, 99-91); Super Lightweights
• Stephen Fulton def. Carlos Castro via UD 10 (96-93, 95-94, 94-95); Featherweights
• Jonathan Lopez def. Richard Medina UD 8 (80-71, 80-71, 80-71); Super Featherweights