Álvarez Knocks Out Plant; Usman and Namajunas Keep U.F.C. Belts

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Minutes before Anthony Dirrell landed the most stunning blow of the night, a cartoonish looping uppercut into Marcos Hernandez’s chin, the Showtime telecast interviewed Mike Tyson about Sául Álvarez and the mind-set of a champion. No matter what was happening during the undercard bouts, everybody’s attention was on Álvarez.

Watching a rare night with big fights in both boxing and the U.F.C. — one event on the television and the other on an iPad — it was striking how visible the stereotypes of the two sports were.

While the boxing undercard was surprisingly entertaining, it was quite clear from the outset that the organizers had sunk all their money into Álvarez and Caleb Plant. The pay-per-view purchase either was or was not worth $79.99 on the anticipation of that fight alone. The card was a maddeningly slow buildup to something incredible, much like the often yearslong waits for promoters to make fights that fans care about.

U.F.C. 268, in contrast, was highlighted by depth. When Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler were trading bomb after absolute bomb in the first fight of the main card, it was easy to forget that there were four more fights to come. It made for an incredible fight — and a bit of a disappointment, as there was no way Kamaru Usman versus Colby Covington, or Rose Namajunas versus Zhang Weili, could compare.

Gaethje and Chandler, both coming off losses, might have preferred an easier fight or two to build back up to challenging for the lightweight division, but in the U.F.C., fighters don’t have that option. That’s good for Gaethje, but only because he won. Now Chandler will have a hard time getting close to a title fight.

Spending a big sports night at a bar switching your gaze between three televisions, or watching NFL Red Zone, is a great, if frenzied, way to be a sports fan. It doesn’t quite work for fighting sports, however, where a bout can go from boring to bananas in the blink of an eye, a blink you might miss while watching the wrong television, or iPad.

It also costs way, way too much. But every once in awhile, it can be pretty fun.

U.F.C. 268

Kamaru Usman defended his welterweight championship, defeating his rival Colby Covington by unanimous decision.

Usman dropped Covington twice in the second round, nearly finishing him. But Covington recovered and was competitive for the rest of the fight, keeping a high pace, pinning Usman to the fence and also landing solid punches and a head kick. One could argue that it could have been a split decision. Still, Usman connected on his attacks, too, and defended takedowns effectively. He performed at a high enough level to prevent the judges from taking away his belt.

In the end, the two rivals shook hands, a gesture that some would have not predicted after a year of trash talk and insults. Usman has now defended his title five times and is marching closer to potentially usurping Georges St-Pierre as the greatest welterweight of all time. He said earlier this week that he would like to face Saúl Álvarez in a crossover boxing match.

More love for Canelo from Dana White: “I bet $100,000 on him to win by knockout.” Says that’s why he was watching the fight at ringside during the Namajunas-Zhang title bout.

U.F.C.’s president, Dana White, stomps out the idea of an Usman-Álvarez crossover with a pretty darn funny line: “I watched the Canelo fight tonight. He don’t want to fight Canelo.”

Álvarez-Plant

LAS VEGAS — In the moments after Saúl Álvarez’s 11th-round knockout win over Caleb Plant, the sellout crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena rejoiced. The vast majority of the 16,586 spectators supported Álvarez, now the undisputed boxing world champion at 168 pounds.

Officials and supporters of each fighter climbed into the ring, and one person in Álvarez’s corner waved a Mexican flag. Álvarez grew up in Guadalajara, and has said he wants to retire as the greatest Mexican fighter in history.

Covington just passed by the media tables, looked at the reporters and shouted, “What all you nerds gonna say now?” Then Usman passed and held out his right fist, with a large entourage following him out.

Kamaru Usman wins by unanimous decision, 48-47, 48-47, 49-46. After almost getting knocked out in the second round, Covington fought back to make it close, but not close enough.

Round 5: Covington kept a high pace again, even with an eye-poke that paused the fight (how ironic). At the end of the round, the two rivals showed some sportsmanship and shook hands. It’s up to the judges now.

In the early rounds there were a couple of profane chants from the crowd directed at Covington, but in the late rounds Madison Square Garden has been chanting his name. It mirrors his improving performance in this fight.

At the end of Round 3, Usman and Covington smiled and jabbered at each other. At the end of Round 4 they stuck out their tongues at each other. A lot of post-round exchanges between the two of them.

Round 4: Covington probably won that round, though it’s close. He had Usman flailing, pushed an aggressive pace and landed some good shots toward the end.

Round 3: Covington showed his cardio and conditioning by recovering from the earlier round’s knockdowns. He finished the third with a takedown and pinned Usman near the fence. His face is cut, though.

One of Covington’s corner men dumped an entire bottle of water on his head to clean the blood as the cutman worked furiously on his face.

Round 2: Usman dropped Covington twice with punches and would have finished him had the round not ended. Covington walked back to his corner looking dizzy and dazed.

It looks like Colby Covington suffered two cuts in the first round, one under his right eye and another on his forehead.

Round 1: A feel out round for both Covington and Usman. Covington threw some hard punches that did not connect — definitely tried to get a knockout early.

We’re not done yet! Usman vs. Covington should be a good fight, especially because the fighters seem to genuinely dislike each other in a way that goes beyond most fake beefs between fighters.

U.F.C. 268

Rose Namajunas defended her strawweight championship against Zhang Weili via split decision in a competitive fight, a rematch of their last fight that ended in a knockout.

Namajunas ended the last round on top after securing a clean takedown, which could have been the difference. Both women showed their moments — Namajunas was the more effective striker while Zhang grappled and landed takedowns throughout. Namajunas did control the octagon and set the pace better while landing counterpunches.

The crowd leaned heavily toward Namajunas, an American, and booed Zhang, of China. Almost everyone seemed engaged, except the U.F.C. president, Dana White, who was spotted cageside watching Saúl Álvarez’s boxing match on a laptop.

Round 5: It’s anyone’s guess.

Even U.F.C. president Dana White, octagon-side in New York for Namajunas-Weili, was watching Canelo Álvarez knock out Caleb Plant.

In Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises,” a character says he went bankrupt “gradually, then suddenly.” That is also how Caleb Plant lost this fight.

Round 4: Namajunas defended a rear naked choke well and ended the round on top. Zhang may need to get a finish to conclusively win this fight. Otherwise, the judges may lean toward keeping Namajunas as the champ since it’s so close.

Round 11: A left hook and a pair of rights send Plant to the canvas. He rises, clears his head … and Álvarez pounces. A series of heavy blows sends Plant down face-first. Fight over. Álvarez promised a knockout, and he delivered.

Round 10: Álvarez still stalking and hammering Plant, who has finally figured out he won’t win this fight moving and jabbing. The upshot? Some entertaining midring exchanges. Álvarez is still winning. Big.

Showtime’s unofficial scorer has the fight 88-83 Canelo, with Canelo having won the last six rounds. That seems about right.

Round 9: Plant lands a right hand and a combination late, and raises his arms at the bell. For him tonight, winning part of a round counts as a win. Heavier blows are still coming from Álvarez.

Round 3: Interested to see how the judges view this. Namajunas is controlling the octagon better, landing clean strikes and countering, but Zhang took her down toward the end of the round and did some decent ground-and-pound work.

Plant isn’t winning this fight, but he is at least more competitive than Canelo’s last couple of opponents.

Round 8: Plant landed a left hook to the body — his best punch of the fight. He won that moment, and Álvarez won the rest of the round. He landed right hands over the top and left hooks to the forehead, and Plant has few answers.

Canelo looks like a big jungle cat, warily but confidently stalking his prey.

Round 2: Both women got takedowns, and Namajunas wobbled Zhang with some good strikes. It’s competitive, but Namajunas probably won that round.

Round 7: Here’s Plant’s other problem: He tends to fade late in fights, and we’re in the second half of a fight he’s losing. He needs a momentum-changer. Badly.

Round 6: Plant tried the Mayweather shell and shoulder roll. Álvarez has seen that before, from the master. He posts Plant with his left hand and lands the right. Lands a left hook, too. This is turning into a boxing lesson.

Round 1: Pretty competitive to start things out between Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili. Namajunas was more aggressive and also showed solid striking. Zhang did secure a takedown, though.

This is it. This is what we wanted. Álvarez and Plant have entered the sixth round as Namajunas and Weili have begun their fight. Try not to get whiplash watching both.

Round 5: Álvarez landed a low blow, and several legal ones. Plant is likely falling behind on the scorecards, and he needs to land something heavy to get Álvarez’s respect and attention.

Round 4: Plant’s plan: outbox Álvarez the way Floyd Mayweather did in 2013. Plant’s problem: He’s not Mayweather, and Álvarez has improved since then. A big left hook from Álvarez sent sweat flying from Plant’s head. Álvarez is slowly taking over.

The fact that Namajunas entered the octagon with gospel music before attempting to knock someone else unconscious or inflict enough pain to cause her to tap out is hilarious.

First big reaction from the crowd of the fight, as Canelo pins Plant on the ropes and lands a few punches.

Round 3: They’re fighting at Álvarez’s rhythm now, which is bad news for Plant. When Plant circles, Álvarez cuts him off. He needs room, and Álvarez is shrinking the ring.

Round 2: Plant still circling. Álvarez still stalking. They traded left hooks. Álvarez wins those exchanges. A left to the body and right to the head might have won this round for Álvarez.

U.F.C. 268

Amid all the trash talk and the anticipated matchup between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, another fighter could have made a case to be in the cage tonight: Leon Edwards.

Edwards and Usman first fought in 2015, and Usman won by decision. Edwards has not lost since, winning nine fights and participating in one fight that ended in a no contest. His most recent fight was a unique five-round, nontitle bout against fan-favorite Nate Diaz in June, which he won convincingly.

Round 1: Stark size difference between the two. Plant is taller and broader-shouldered. Álvarez is smaller, but spent the first round stalking while Plant tried to establish his jab.

U.F.C. 268

It was hard to follow up the explosiveness of the Gaethje-Chandler showdown, but contenders in two divisions kept the octagon busy in preparation for the co-main and main events.

Shane Burgos won via unanimous decision in a featherweight, beating Billy Quarantillo. The first round was relatively competitive, but Burgos found a groove and landed cleaner, more precise attacks in the later period, exerting visible damage on Quarantillo.

Marlon Vera defeated Frankie Edgar in the third round of a bantamweight bout, thrusting his leg with a front kick to Edgar’s jaw that knocked him out. Vera was the more dominant fighter throughout, landing clean shots, being more aggressive and controlling the octagon. Edgar is a fan favorite, and that base was quite loud. Edgar, 40, first fought in the U.F.C. in 2007. It’s the third time he’s been finished in his last four fights.

Kamaru Usman started his media tour this week with a clear plan: set the stage for a potential crossover megafight with Saúl Álvarez.

Usman, the U.F.C. welterweight champion, sold his pitch in multiple interviews with different news outlets, claiming that a clash between the pound-for-pound best fighters in mixed martial arts and boxing would fuel fan desires to see the greatest competitions regardless of the discipline.

Álvarez-Plant Undercard

It’s tough to tell which Anthony Dirrell feat was more impressive.

Four rounds into his co-main event bout against Marcos Hernandez, Dirrell, a former super middleweight world champion, landed a bolo punch uppercut to Hernandez’s jaw. Dirrell, a 37-year-old from Flint, Mich., windmilled his right arm like a softball pitcher, and the impact of the punch snapped Hernandez’s head back before sending him to the canvas.

Álvarez-Plant

Caleb Plant is forthright about his tough upbringing. He, his sister and his father, Richie, lived in a mobile home in tiny Ashland City, Tenn. Plant has told reporters that the trailer grew frigid every winter and unbearably hot every summer, but also says the experience has made him nearly bulletproof as a boxer.

“You can’t break a poor boy’s chin,” Plant has said repeatedly in the run-up to his bout against Álvarez.

U.F.C. 268

Whether the crowd at Madison Square Garden boos Zhang Weili or greets her warmly, she says she will be ready.

Zhang became the first Chinese champion in U.F.C. history and is adored in her home country. But that was not the reception she got in the United States at U.F.C. 261 in April, when she fought Rose Namajunas, an American. In the lead-up to the fight, Namajunas compared it to a battle between democracy and Communism.

Álvarez-Plant Undercard

The featherweights Rey Vargas and Leonardo Baez paced around the ring during prefight introductions decked out in identical Mexican flag serapes. For social media-savvy fight fans, the scene brought to mind the Spiderman-pointing-at-Spiderman meme.

But if you couldn’t distinguish the fighters through dress, you could tell them apart by pedigree. Baez, from Mexicali, Mexico, entered at 21-4 and had never fought for a world title. Vargas had won all 34 of his pro fights and was a world champion at 122 pounds before moving up to featherweight.

U.F.C. 268

The tangible excitement before, during and after the fight lived up to the product inside the cage. Justin Gaethje defeated Michael Chandler via unanimous decision in a lightweight bout to start the main card of U.F.C. 268, essentially earning a title shot for his next fight.

Gaethje will most likely clash with the winner of next month’s fight between the champion Charles Oliveira and the No. 1 contender Dustin Poirier.

Álvarez-Plant

Here’s are the full results from the Álvarez-Plant card:

Main Card (9 p.m. E.T.)

The super lightweights Elvis Rodriguez and Juan Pablo Romero fought at close range, each man confident his tools could do the job. Rodriguez, a southpaw from the Dominican Republic who now lives in Los Angeles, had faster hands. Romero, a 31-year-old from Villa Del Carbon, Mexico, threw heavier punches.

Speed won out.

U.F.C. 268

This is essentially an audition for the next opponent for the U.FC.’s lightweight championship. With the 155-pound champion Charles Oliveira scheduled to fight Dustin Poirier in December, the winner of that fight will either face Michael Chandler or Justin Gaethje.

Chandler first fought in the U.F.C. in 2020 after a successful run in Bellator M.M.A., considered the second-largest mixed martial arts promotion behind the U.F.C. He won his first fight but lost to Oliveira in the second round via technical knockout in a contest to fill the vacant lightweight title after the dominant champion Khabib Nurmagomedov retired.