On a night branded the “Night of Champions” at the ANB Arena, American stars Devin Haney and David Benavidez both delivered emphatic statements, securing world titles and silencing critics with dominant performances on the Riyadh Season card.
Haney Conquers a Third Division
In the co-main event, Devin Haney made history by becoming a three-division world champion, defeating fellow American Brian Norman Jr. via unanimous decision to capture the WBO Welterweight title. Stepping up to 147 pounds, Haney dispelled doubts about his power early, dropping the champion in the second round with a sharp combination.
“The Dream” controlled the pace with his signature jab and precise movement, earning scores of 117-110, 116-111, and 114-113 from the judges. The victory adds a welterweight strap to his previous lightweight and super lightweight crowns, further cementing his pound-for-pound status.
The Monster Lives Up to His Name
In the main event, David Benavidez successfully defended his WBC light heavyweight title with a brutal seventh-round stoppage of British challenger Anthony Yarde. After a methodical start, “The Mexican Monster” began to break Yarde down in the middle rounds, unleashing a barrage of punches that left the challenger bloodied and battered.
Benavidez closed the show at 1:59 of the seventh round, overwhelming Yarde with a ferocious assault that forced the referee to step in. The win improved Benavidez’s record to 31-0 with 25 KOs and set the stage for potential unification bouts in the light heavyweight division.
“They said I couldn’t stop this guy… I made it look better than Beterbiev and Kovalev,” Benavidez declared post-fight, grading his performance a “B+” while eyeing a future move to cruiserweight.
Undercard Highlights
The card also saw Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez unify the super flyweight division with a 10th-round knockout of Fernando Martinez, adding the WBA title to his WBC, WBO, and Ring Magazine belts. Additionally, rising star Abdullah Mason claimed the vacant WBO lightweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Sam Noakes.
