David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde live results, round-by-round updates, ring walks for stacked card

Three punches from Benavidez get through, but Yarde comes back with a counter in the middle. Benavidez is going to work. Yarde is keeping him honest, though. Sharp jab lands for Benavidez, and then a fast flurry. That was eye-catching. A bit more offense from Yarde, however it was all blocked and a combination from Benavidez is the response. Benavidez barrages with a left hook to end the fouth.

10-9 Benavidez, 39-37 Benavidez

Long right hand connects for Benavidez. He is swinging into these shots and leaving himself open for counters from Yarde. Benavidez switches to southpaw. Nice body shot, followed by a left upstairs from Benavidez. Benavidez knocks Yarde’s head back with a left. Combinations follow, and then a hook for the champ. Combination from Benavidez, Yarde counters, but the firepower isn’t the same. Nice chopping right from Benavidez to end the round.

10-9 Benavidez, 29-28 Benavidez

Benavidez is swinging in hard shots as Yarde is backed up on the ropes. Right hand from Yarde through the middle. Yarde is boxing well behind the jab in this round. Left hook for Benavidez on the inside. Clean right connects for “The Monster.” Benavidez slips while trying to land a right late in the second frame. Better for Yarde.

10-9 Yarde, 19-19

It’s “The Monster” vs. “The Beast from the East.” Benavidez is the taller man and lands a left hook early. Yarde attempts a one-two, but it is blocked. It’s Benavidez on the front foot. Heavy right from Benavidez is blocked by Yarde. Nice left connects for Benavidez. Right hand over the top land for the champion. Counter right hand from Yarde as Benavidez looked to close the gap. Another counter right from Yarde landed better that time. Benavidez stabs downstairs. Nice jab upstairs for Benavidez. Right hand breaks the guard to end the opener.

10-9 Benavidez

It’s main event time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Ring walks coming up now.

David Benavidez makes the first defense of his WBC light heavyweight title against two-time title challenger Anthony Yarde.

Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) twice held the WBC super middleweight title between 2017 to 2020, but lost it outside the ring on both occasions. After picking up the WBC interim title against Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June 2024, Benavidez had to get off the floor to defeat the WBA (Regular) champion David Morrell in a thriller in February.

Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) is a former two-time light heavyweight title challenger. The Brit was stopped in both championship attempts: by Sergey Kovalev in 2019 and by Beterbiev in 2023. Yarde was last in action when he edged Lyndon Arthur to lead their rivalry, 2-1.

Devin Haney defeats Brian Norman Jr. by unanimous decision (114-113, 117-110, 116-111) to win the WBO welterweight title. Haney becomes a three-division world champion.

Three minutes to go, and Norman surely needs a KO. Right hand from Haney chops down on Norman’s chin. Good work on the inside for Norman with a combination. Norman is landing on the body as Haney attempts to clinch up close. A lot of holding. Norman’s work isn’t landing clean because of the wrestling tactics from Haney on the inside.

10-9 Norman, 115-112 Haney

Round 10 was a close one; Norman edged it for Uncrowned. Norman was told in the corner inbetween Rounds 10 and 11 that he should go for broke, perhaps insinuating that they think they are behind on the scorecards.

Haney has done very little in the second half of this fight. A lot of holding and clinching in this penultimate round. Conor Benn is pretending to be asleep at ringside. A couple of jabs from Haney. Norman tries to break the gap, but Haney holds onto him as they get close. Norman’s work is being smothered.

10-9 Haney, 106-102 Haney

A pair of left hands from Norman catches Haney around the two-minute mark. He’s connecting with hooks/straight lefts after leading with the right. It’s been a low-output fight, and so one or two key moments in a round are decisive, and Norman is finding those moments in the last couple of frames.

10-9 Norman, 87-83 Haney

Straight punches are getting through the guard from Norman. Haney was forced into a corner of the ring with that combination. Sharp jab from Haney in the final minute. Nice jab from Haney again. Haney is controlling proceedings with the left hand in the final minute after a good start from Norman.

10-9 Norman, 78-73 Haney

Into the second half of this contest, and Norman is close to “needing a KO to win” territory.

Nice left hook from Haney buzzes Norman. He jumped in with the hook. One-two goes Haney and Norman nods his head in acknowledgement.

Counter hook from Haney partially connects with Norman at the halfway point. Norman has been neutralized. Power jab for Norman found a home. Norman attempted to shovel up with an uppercut on the inside. He is forcing the pressure a bit more now.

10-9 Haney, 69-63 Haney

Trio of lefts from Norman back Haney up, but nothing lands clean. Haney circles back to the center. One-two from Haney drove Norman back. Good combination from Haney. The feeling here is that if Haney lets his hands go, he can hurt and stop Norman. Another one-two hammers down on Norman. Brilliant offensive work from Haney mixed with the defensive prowess that has made him so good.

10-9 Haney, 49-45 Haney

Strong jab from Haney drove Norman backward in the opening minute of Round 4. Again, Haney lands the jab. Back comes Norman with a shot hook. Power jab knocks Norman’s head back. Another counter hook from Haney was attempted as Norman tried to break the gap. Brilliant left-hand work from Haney since the knockdown. Jab downstairs from Norman to end the round.

10-9 Haney, 39-36 Haney

I don’t think anybody expected Haney to be landing the more damaging punches in this fight and to be rocking Norman like that.

Nice jab from Haney. Norman comes back with a left hook. Haney walks Norman onto a short, chopping right. This is a low-output fight. Both guys are looking to land big punches rather than be active. A bit of a jab battle late in Round 3. Tight round.

10-9 Haney, 29-27 Haney

Haney’s best asset is his jab. He didn’t throw it at all in the opener. The Ryan Garcia fight has definitely affected his confidence.

Nice left hook counter from Haney catches Norman coming in. Now Haney lands the jab. That may have been the confidence booster he needed. Another hook from Haney and Norman is ROCKED! Right hand follows, and DOWN GOES NORMAN!!

Unbelievable stuff! WOW. Haney is going for the finish. He puts his punches together. Norman was backed up and still hurt. Flurry from Haney.

10-8 Haney, 19-18 Haney

This is the people’s main event — can they deliver on their words?

It’s a battle of right-handers. Haney, the master boxer, against Norman, a puncher. Haney is already on the back foot. It’s a chess match early; neither man wants to let their hands go. Nothing really of note is going on so far.

Nice left hand in the final 30 seconds from Norman. Haney holds on. Quiet round.

10-9 Norman

Brian Norman Jr. defends his WBO welterweight title against two-division world champion Devin Haney in tonight’s co-feature.

Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) won the WBO interim championship with a 10th-round upset KO win over Giovani Santillan in May 2024 and was upgraded to full champion shortly after. In July, Norman scored a brutal fifth-round KO of Japan’s Jin Sasaki in his second title defense.

Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) previously held the undisputed lightweight title between 2022 and 2023 in a run that included wins over Vasiliy Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr. In December 2023, Haney moved up to super lightweight and dominated Regis Prograis to capture the WBC title.

Haney was floored three times in a stunning loss (now a no-contest) to Ryan Garcia in April 2024. Haney returned for the first time since that fight this past May, winning a unanimous decision over Jose Ramirez in an uninspiring performance.