WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez defended his title, stopping Anthony Yarde in seven rounds on Saturday night at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In the co-main event, WBO World Welterweight Champion Brian Norman Jr. lost by decision to Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney, who scored a knockout in the second round.
(Credit: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney)
Benavidez (31-0 (25) knocked out Anthony Yarde (27-4 (24)) at 1:59 of the seventh round of a scheduled 12-round bout.
In the first round, Benavidez knocked out Yarde. In the second round, Yarde came back well to level the scores. In the fourth round, Benavidez had Yarde on his feet in the final seconds.
In the fifth and sixth rounds, Benavidez continued to gouge Yarde, drawing blood from his nose in the sixth round. In the seventh round, Benavidez dropped Yarde with a flurry of punches, but knocked him down when he was down and lost a point from referee Hector Afu. Standing up, Yarde took a beating from Benavidez before referee Afu called a halt.
WBC and WBO World Super Flyweight Champion southpaw Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (23-0 (16) knocked out Fernando ‘Pumita’ Martinez (18-1 (9)) at 1:25 of the tenth round of a scheduled 12-rounder.
In the first round, Martinez had a slight lead in a good round for both. In the second and third rounds, Rodriguez dominated, drawing blood from the nose of Martinez at the end of the third.
From the fifth round to the ninth, it was all Rodriguez. In the tenth round, Rodriguez dropped Martines for the count of referee Edward Collantes.
WBO World Welterweight Champion Brian Norman Jr. (28-1 (22) lost via a 12-round unanimous decision to former 2-division champion Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney (33-0-1nc, (15). Haney scored the only knockout in the second round.
In the second round, Haney landed lefts and rights to the chin, dropping Norman for an 8 count from referee Ricky Gonzalez. When he got up, Norman’s nose was bleeding and he looked in bad shape. In the third through fifth rounds, Norman came back well, although Haney took all three rounds.
In the seventh through ninth rounds Norman came back well, taking all three rounds but still behind. In the tenth round it was Haney who came back to take the round.
In the eleventh and twelfth rounds there was too much holding from both fighters, with a clash of heads causing a cut over Norman’s right eye.
The scores were 114-113, 118-111 and 117-110
Number 1 Sam Nokes (17-10 (15)) lost by a 12-round unanimous decision to Abdullah Mason (20-0 (17)) in a fight for the vacant WBO Lightweight world title.
Mason dominated the first four rounds and outworked Nokes. In the next four rounds, Nokes came back well and leveled the scores.
In the tenth round, Mason Nokes was on his feet in the last minute with a cut to his left eyebrow and nosebleed. In the eleventh round, Noakes took it out and came back well. In the twelfth and final round, both had their moments, but Mason seemed to win it.
The scores were twice 115-113 and 117-111.
Middleweight Vito ‘White Majic’ Mielnicki, Jr. (22-1 (13) stopped Samuel Nmomah (21-1 (5)) in the ninth round at 2:09 of the ninth round of a scheduled 10 round.
In the first three rounds, Mielnicki landed at will. In the fourth round, Nmomah hit Mielnicki in the back of the head and dropped him, but referee Hector Afu did not consider it a knockdown.
From the fifth to the eighth rounds, Mielnicki outplayed Nnomah and won all the rounds. In the ninth round, Mielnicki landed a combination and dropped Nnomah for an 8 count from referee Afu. When he got up, Mielnicki swarmed all over Nmomah, prompting referee Afu to call a halt.
Super featherweight ‘Mighty’ Mohammed Alakel (7-0 (1) dominated Jiaming Li (7-6 (4) by a six-round unanimous decision and scored a solitary knockout.
In the first two rounds, Alakel dominated, ending each round with Li landing a right to the chin of Li at the end of the second. In the third and fourth rounds, Li, coming off a stoppage loss, is too defensive, losing another round to Alakel, mostly with jabs.
In the fifth round’s final seconds, Alakel landed a counter right on the chin and dropped Li, who immediately got up for a count from referee Pavel Hynek. In the sixth and final round, with a ten-round victory, Alakel didn’t seem to be trying to stop with both punches at the bell.
The scores were 60-53, 60-53 and 60-53.
Super middleweight Julio ‘Diamante’ Porras (13-0-1 (9)) was lucky to get a six-round draw with Pius Mpenda (11-4-2 (5).
In the first round, the taller Porras controlled his jab and finished the round with a right to the chin of Mpenda. In the second round, after a minute, Mpenda landed a flurry of punches, putting Porras on the defensive. In the third and fourth rounds, Mpenda landed overhand rights with Porras having his hands at his side.
In the fifth, Mpenda landed an upper hand right on the chin of the taller Porras. In the sixth and final round, knowing he was behind Porras, he threw more rights as Mpenda continued to land over rights.
The scores were 57-57, 57-57 and 57-57. Leszek Jankowiak was the referee.
Super featherweight Sultan Almohammed (2-0 (1) stopped Umesh Chavan (3-2-1) at 2:05 of the first round of a scheduled four-rounder.
In the first round, 17-year-old Almohammed controlled the aggressive Chavan until a body shot hurt him midway through the round. Amohammed landed a body shot, forcing Chavan to turn his back, forcing referee Edward Collantes to call a halt.
Bantamweight Barker Ssewanyana (1-2-1) Lost to Juan El Guerito de Tepito (10-0) by unanimous decision.
In the first two rounds, the 16-year-old de Tepito, who was making his debut, was the taller of the two and outstretched Ssewanyana, going through his opponent’s high trunk to the body.
Ssewanyana holds too much and occasionally lands an overhand right. In the third and fourth rounds, Juan De Tepito controlled. After several warnings, Ssewanyana was deducted a point for holding by referee Manuel Angel Canuel.
The scores were 40-35, 40-35 and 40-35.
The Ring Announcer was Thomas Treiber.
Last updated on 22/11/2025
