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  Devin Haney, right, fights Vasiliy Lomachenko in an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Vasiliy Lomachenko holds up his Ukrainian flag after an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match against Devin Haney Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Devin Haney celebrates after defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko in an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Devin Haney celebrates after defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko in an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Devin Haney, left, fights Vasiliy Lomachenko in an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Devin Haney slips as he fights Vasiliy Lomachenko in an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Devin Haney, left, fights Vasiliy Lomachenko in an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Devin Haney, right, fights Vasiliy Lomachenko in an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Devin Haney, left, fights Vasiliy Lomachenko in an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Devin Haney, right, fights Vasiliy Lomachenko in an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Devin Haney, left, fights Vasiliy Lomachenko in an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Vasiliy Lomachenko reacts during his fight against Devin Haney in an undisputed lightweight championship boxing match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Haney won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/John Locher)

By W.G. RAMIREZ The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney retained his titles Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden, but not without a controversial decision that former three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko’s camp plans on appealing.

Lomachenko dominated the latter rounds and outpunched Haney, 124-110.

But much to the dismay of the 14,436 fans in attendance, all three judges had Haney winning. Tim Cheatham and David Sutherland scored the fight 115-113, while Dave Moretti had it 116-112.

Lomachenko’s manager said they plan to appeal the decision.

“The biggest robbery in the daylight. Haney’s team got Christmas in the Summer,” Egis Klimas said. “We’re going to appeal this decision. Those judges, they do not understand how the boxers are working hard. I guarantee we’re not going to let that go. We want to show there has to be justice.”

Haney improved to 30-0. Lomachenko, 35, dropped to 17-3.

Both fighters showed aggressiveness through the first half of the fight, Haney using his length and strength by working off his back foot, while Lomachenko continued to pepper the champion with a jackhammer left hand to the head.

But as the fight wore on, it was the elder statesman punishing 24-year-old Haney, stunning him with combinations, including a powerful ninth round, when the champion started showing his fatigue.

All three judges scored a relatively close 12th round that could have gone either way in favor of Haney, 10-9. A decision the other way would have made the fight a draw on two judges’ scorecards.

Moretti was opposite his colleagues twice in the latter rounds, giving Haney the eighth and 10th rounds, despite Lomachenko landing several headshots in the eighth, and delivering his most lethal blow in the 10th.

“I think I showed that I can still be in boxing, I’m in good shape now,” Lomachenko said. “I win this fight. Twelve rounds end, I was sure I won this fight. I feel I controlled this fight.”

Haney was nothing short of complimentary of his challenger.

“Lomachenko is a future Hall of Famer,” Haney said. “It was a blessing. He was my toughest opponent. He was very crafty. He turns it up in the championship rounds. (This fight) put me in the history books forever.”

Now Haney has a decision to make, as he will be a free agent when he wakes up Sunday morning, as his three-fight deal with Top Rank and Lou DiBella is now expired.

Haney certainly has plenty of options, as he could stay at 135 pounds for one final fight, where a highly anticipated match awaits against fellow pound-for-pound contender Shakur Stevenson, who was in attendance Saturday.

Stevenson disagreed with the result.

“Lomachenko should be undisputed champion — he won that fight,” Stevenson said.

But if Haney is ready to step in the ring with another undefeated fighter, Stevenson said, “Let’s make it happen. I can’t wait.”

Haney could also move to junior welterweight, where he would pursue a second-division title while positioning himself to meet the winner of the June 10 fight between Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez Jr.

The wild-card bout out there would be against Gervonta Davis, who looked impressive in his win over Ryan Garcia on April 22.

“Me and my team are going to go back to the house, watch the fight and reflect on it,” said Haney, who added it’s always been tough for him to make weight at 135. “I’ve been at 135 for a long, long time. This is my 30th fight. I’ve been here at 135 since I was 16 years old. We’re going to go back to the lab and figure out what’s next.”

On the undercard:

Oscar Valdez manhandled Adam Lopez in the final preliminary bout, including a dominating 10th round. Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) beat Lopez (16-5) by unanimous decision.

Raymond Muratalla pummeled Jeremia Nakathila early and the fight was stopped at the 2:48 mark of the second round. Muratella improved to 18-0 and 15 KOs. Nakathila dropped to 23-3

Junto Nakatani improved to 25-0 with his 19th KO, droppin Andrew Moloney with a devastating left to the face in the 12th round. Moloney, who fell to 25-3, was taken to University Medical Center for evaluation.

Nico Ali Walsh (8-0-1) and Danny Rosenberger (13-9-5) fought to a draw, each scoring 77-75 on two of the judges’ cards, while the third finished at 76-all.

LAS VEGAS — This is the fight Devin Haney wanted four years ago, but in 2019, he was still working his way toward becoming a championship fighter.

Vasiliy Lomachenko was viewed by many as the best pound-for-pound boxer at the time, and fighting Haney didn’t interest him.

Haney now is the undisputed lightweight champion, and though not thrilled at being previously passed over – he has brought it up, oh, about 1,000 times – he is giving Lomachenko a shot. The two will meet in a 12-round match for the title Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“I definitely feel like he should’ve fought me four years ago,” Haney said. “I would’ve at least got my shot four years ago. But Allah is a perfect planner, and now my time has finally come. It’s going to be worse than it would’ve been four years ago for him.”

Oddsmakers agree. Haney is a minus-280 favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Haney, who is from the San Francisco Bay Area and lives in Las Vegas, is 29-0 with 15 knockouts. He holds all four championship belts, having risen to WBC champ in October 2019 after Lomachenko had his title removed.

Haney, 24, became the undisputed champion after winning a one-sided unanimous decision over George Kambosos Jr. in June 2022 in Melbourne. The two fought in Australia that October and the result was largely the same.

The irony is Lomachenko could’ve fought Kambosos, and his manager, Egis Klimas, badly wanted him to take that fight. But Lomachenko had won two Olympic gold medals while boxing for Ukraine, and he didn’t want to stand idly by while his country was under attack by Russia.

Lomachenko told Klimas: “I’m not going. It’s not what’s on my mind right now. I can’t think about my career. I can’t think about boxing. All I can see right now is our country’s being bombed. People are getting killed. Everybody in this country needs me here.”

So Lomachenko enrolled in a territorial defense battalion for Ukraine.

“A lot of things are more important than the sport of boxing,” Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said. “One of them is patriotism, particularly when your country is in the grips of defending itself from a terrible aggressor. … I salute all the people of Ukraine, and I salute Vasiliy Lomachenko for the stand he took staying behind to defend his country rather than participate across the globe in Australia in a fight.”

It was Haney’s big break.

“I respect his decision to stay and fight for his country,” Haney said. “It allowed for me to get my shot to go to Australia, so it’s only right to give him his shot as well.”

Lomachenko, 35, is a former three-division champion, and he takes a 17-2 record with 11 KOs into this bout.

The odds are literally against him as he approaches the latter stages of his boxing career, but Saturday is a major opportunity to make a massive statement.

“I understand it’s the last chance to be undisputed,” Lomachenko said.

Also on the main card are a 10-round junior lightweight fight between two-division world champion Oscar Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs) and Adam Lopez (16-4, 6 KOs) and a 10-round lightweight bout between Raymond Muratalla (17-0, 14 KOs) and Jeremia Nakathila (23-2, 19 KOs).

The undercard features a 12-round WBO junior bantamweight title fight between Junto Nakatani (24-0, 18 KOs) and Andrew Moloney (25-2, 16 KOs). Should Moloney win, he would join his twin, Jason, as a world champion and become the first Australian brothers to hold belts at the same time. Jason Moloney is the WBO bantamweight champ.

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  Aljamain Sterling, of Jamaica, kicks Henry Cejudo during the fifth round of a bantamweight title bout at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Sunday, May 7, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Sterling won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Henry Cejudo reacts as he is announced for a bantamweight title bout against Aljamain Sterling, of Jamaica, at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Sunday, May 7, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Sterling won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Henry Cejudo, right, grapples with Aljamain Sterling, of Jamaica, during the third round of a bantamweight title bout at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Sunday, May 7, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Sterling won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Aljamain Sterling, of Jamaica, kicks Henry Cejudo during the fifth round of a bantamweight title bout at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Sunday, May 7, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Sterling won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Aljamain Sterling, of Jamaica, reacts after winning a bantamweight title bout against Henry Cejudo at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Newark, N.J. Sterling won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Henry Cejudo, right, reacts after losing to Aljamain Sterling, of Jamaica, in a bantamweight title bout at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Newark, N.J. Sterling won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Aljamain Sterling, of Jamaica, reacts after a bantamweight title bout against Henry Cejudo at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Newark, N.J. Sterling won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Aljamain Sterling, of Jamaica, kicks Henry Cejudo during the first round of a bantamweight title bout at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Sunday, May 7, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Sterling won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Aljamain Sterling, of Jamaica, punches Henry Cejudo, right, during the fourth round of a bantamweight title bout at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Sunday, May 7, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Sterling won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Belal Muhammad, right, punches Brazil’s Gilbert Burns during the fourth round of a welterweight bout at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Newark, N.J. Muhammad won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  China’s Yan Xiaonan reacts after being announced for a women’s strawweight bout against Brazil’s Jessica Andrade at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Saturday, May 6, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Xiaonan stopped Andrade in the first round.(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  China’s Yan Xiaonan celebrates after a women’s strawweight bout against Brazil’s Jessica Andrade at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Saturday, May 6, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Xiaonan stopped Andrade in the first round. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Russia’s Movsar Evloev, right, grapples with Brazil’s Diego Lopes during the second round of a featherweight bout at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Saturday, May 6, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Evloev won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Canada’s Charles Jourdain, left, punches Brazil’s Kron Gracie during the first round of a featherweight bout at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Saturday, May 6, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Jordain won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Canada’s Charles Jourdain, left, punches Brazil’s Kron Gracie during the third round of a featherweight bout at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Saturday, May 6, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Jordain won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Matt Frevola, right, kicks Drew Dober during the first round of a lightweight bout at the UFC 288 mixed martial arts event Saturday, May 6, 2023 in Newark, N.J. Frevola stopped Dober in the first round. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEWARK, N.J. — Aljamain Sterling landed enough stiff knees and elbows in a split-decision victory against a battered Henry Cejudo that the punishment may push the former UFC two-division champion back into retirement.

Moments after winning his ninth straight bout and surviving his latest 135-pound championship title defense in the main event of UFC 288, Sterling’s fight night was only heating up.

Bantamweight challenger Sean O’Malley stepped inside the cage, stripped off his jacket and stood nose-to-nose with Sterling (23-3) as the two fighters launched into profanity-laced tirades against each other and eventually needed to be separated.

“Get this (expletive) out of my cage,” Sterling shouted Saturday night at the Prudential Center.

They might get their championship match later this summer. UFC President Dana White wanted Sterling-O’Malley to fight in August in Boston — and not late night in New Jersey.

“It was a bad idea,” White cracked of inviting O’Malley inside the octagon.

Cejudo’s comeback after a three-year retirement also might have been a bad idea. Cejudo, the only person to win an Olympic gold medal and a UFC title, held the bantamweight crown when he abruptly retired in May 2020 after he successfully defended the championship against Dominick Cruz.

Cejudo said he was a “little confused” about his future plans and would return home to his family — his wife is expecting the couple’s second child — and think hard about his fight future. He was wildly cheered through all five rounds by 17,559 fans that paid to watch Cejudo try to turn back the clock.

“Who knows, this may be the last time in the octagon,” he said.

The 33-year-old Sterling won 48-47, 48-47 on two scorecards and Cejudo won 48-47 on the third.

“I hate losing but it’s also been three years,” Cejudo said.

Sterling, a Long Island, New York native, successfully defended the bantamweight championship for a record third time.

At 21, Cejudo (16-3) became the youngest American to capture an Olympic wrestling gold medal when he won the freestyle 55-kilogram division in 2008.. At 36, Cejudo may finally call it quits instead of continuing to chase another UFC championship.

White shook Cejudo’s hand inside the cage and helped the fighter remove his gloves for perhaps the final time.

“I’m out here to chase greatness,” Cejudo said. “If I can’t make history, I’m not doing this. I didn’t win. The belt’s not around my waist.”

Cejudo found greatness in UFC when he became the fourth fighter to hold titles in two different weight classes simultaneously, and the second to defend titles in two different weight divisions.

Belal Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC) landed enough stiff kicks to Gilbert Burns’ upper body to earn a unanimous decision victory in the 170-pound five-round fight.

UFC fighter Conor McGregor bashed the fight on Twitter.

He wasn’t alone in his biting critique of a bland fight that earned plenty of boos from the New Jersey crowd.

Muhammad and Burns exchanged a few kicks in the third and the crowd let the fighters have it at the end of another round on the card that suffered from a deficiency of sustained action. Burns appeared to hurt his left shoulder on a failed takedown attempt and couldn’t muster much offense, one reason for the methodical pace.

Muhammad was booed when he was announced as the 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 winner and then told the crowd, “New Jersey, you suck.”

The win stamped Muhammad — who took the fight on just over two-weeks’ notice and extended his winning streak to five and his unbeaten streak to 10 straight fights — as a top contender for a title shot against Leon Edwards.

It’s no surprise Burns (22-6) ended the bout in rough physical shape. The Brazilian already won a fight at UFC 283 in January and he retired Jorge Masvidal in a win at UFC 287 on April 8. The fight was rushed onto the card after problems with the original co-main event between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush pushed the fight to next month.

If the New York Mets need to add some punch in the lineup, maybe they can find out if Matt Frevola is available. A diehard Mets fan who threw the first pitch at a game last month, Frevola had Mets owner Steve Cohen — who was soundly booed when shown on the big screen — watching cageside for his bout against Drew Dobler.

Frevola added to the Mets theme when he walked out to Timmy Trumpet’s signature song “Narco,” which belonged to injured reliever Edwin Diaz.

The Long Island native had fans singing “Steam-roll-a!” in the short time he was in the cage. Frevola scored a TKO win over Drew Dobler at 4:08 of the first round for his third straight first-round finish.

On the first fight on the main card, Charles Jourdain defeated Kron Graice by unanimous decision in a fight so dull that fans turned on their camera phone lights to entertain themselves.

“Sorry guys, it was not the most exciting fight,” Jourdain said after finishing off the one-dimensional Gracie.

Movsar Evloev defeated Diego Lopes by unanimous decision in a fight Lopes accepted on five-days notice after an injury forced Bryce Mitchell to drop out. Yan Xiaonan clobbered former UFC strawweight champion Jéssica Andrade with a big right and pounded away at her fallen foe for a TKO victory at 2:20 of the first round.

Yan’s victory could set her up for a 115-pound championship match against fellow Chinese fighter Zhang Weili.

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  Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico, left, fights John Ryder of Britain in a super middleweight title boxing match at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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  Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico, left, fights John Ryder of Britain in a super middleweight title boxing match at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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  Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico, right, fights John Ryder of Britain in a super middleweight title boxing match at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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  Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico celebrates after defeating John Ryder of Britain in their super middleweight title boxing match at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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  Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico celebrates after defeating John Ryder of Britain in their super middleweight title boxing match at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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  John Ryder of Britain, right, fights against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico in a super middleweight title boxing match at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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  Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico, left, fights with John Ryder of Britain in a super middleweight title boxing match at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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  Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico, right, fights against John Ryder of Britain in a super middleweight title boxing match at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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  John Ryder of Britain, right, fights against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico in a super middleweight title boxing match at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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  John Ryder, of Britain, fights Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, of Mexico, in a super middleweight title boxing match at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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  Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico, left, fights John Ryder of Britain in a super middleweight title boxing match at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Canelo Alvarez returned home and remained the undisputed super middleweight champion Saturday night, beating John Ryder by unanimous decision before more than 50.000 fans in his first fight in Mexico since 2011.

Alvarez bloodied the British challenger’s nose and knocked him down, cruising to the victory by scores of 120-107 on one card and 118-109 on the other two to improve to 59-2-2.

“I hit him too much in the head and he did not go down,” Canelo said at ring side after the fight. “I´ve always said it, when they fight me, they give their 100 percent, it gets complicated because they usually give me the fight of their lives”.

Ryder said that he suffered what is probably a broken nose in the second round and that played a major role in having his four-bout winning streak stopped and is 32-6.

“He´s probably past his best, he could not get me out there, he wanted to stop me and could not do it,” Ryder said at a press conference. “It could have been a little different with out the problem to my nose, it took me a few rounds to get adjusted”.

It was Canelo´s first fight since he had surgery on his left wrist last March. Before the fight, he said the injury slowed him down in his previous four fights, including his loss to light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol a year ago.

After getting a hard-fought victory over Ryder, Canelo has his eyes set on a rematch against the Russian in September.

“That´s what we are aiming for, but we will see”, added Canelo.

In a fight that was touted as the “King is Coming Home”, the sold-out crowd at Akron stadium in Guadalajara, just 25 miles away from Juanacatlan, the small town where Canelo grew up, screamed deliriously during the whole fight.

“It was different, I’ve fought in stadiums before, but tonight was very different, the vibe of the crowd was awesome, I´m very thankful,” added Alvarez.

Alvarez and Ryder started a slow-paced fight in the first two rounds, but Canelo connected with a straight right and Ryder started bleeding from the nose after the third round.

The Mexican kept pressing the action in the fourth round, landing body shots, and then sent Ryder to the mat with a right hook to the chin.

Ryder made Canelo uncomfortable in the fifth and landed a few shots on the face of the Mexican, but Alvarez landed another right in the ninth. Ryder stumbled, but rallied and answered with a shot that shook the Mexican.

Ryder, with a bloodied face, closed the fight well in the last two rounds, but was not enough to get the upset.

In the undercard, Julio Cesar “Rey” Martinez (19-2) knocked out Ronal Batista (15-2) to retain the WBC flyweight title.

Garcia remained on his feet before backing up a few steps. Then he went to his right knee, and suddenly one of boxing’s most-anticipated matches in recent history was over, the lightweight bout ending at 1:44 of the seventh round Saturday night.

“I didn’t think that body shot would end it, but I saw his facial expression and that’s what made me take it to him,” Davis said. “It was a good shot, for sure. I thought he was going to get up, but I like to play mind games, so when he was looking at me, I was looking at him trying to tell him, ‘Get up!’ He just shook his head, ‘No.’”

Davis improved to 29-0, with all but two of his victories by knockout. It was the first defeat for Garcia, who won 19 of his first 23 fights by KO.

Davis also sent Garcia to the mat with a roundhouse left in the second round, and spent most of the rest of the fight working the body. The strategy worked for Davis, a 28-year-old from Baltimore who put himself in position to succeed Canelo Alvarez as the face of the sport.

“I’m definitely the face of boxing,” Davis said.

Garcia, a 24-year-old who lives in Los Angeles, did manage to land two sharp rights to Davis’ face in the sixth round. But then Tank Davis came back in the seventh with a left that put Garcia on the mat for the second time and prompted referee Thomas Taylor to call the bout.

“He caught me with a good shot, and I just couldn’t recover,” Garcia said. “He caught me with a good body shot, snuck under me and caught me good.

“I couldn’t breathe. I was going to get back up, but I just couldn’t get up.”

This fight between lightweight challengers had the feel of a big-time event, attracting celebrities such as Julius Erving, Damian Lillard and Mark Walhberg, as well as former champs Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Manny Pacquiao. A sold-out crowd of 20,842 showed up, with Davis owning roughly a 60-40 split of the support.

“Everything about this was exciting,” Davis said. “I was excited to be a part of this event. I remember coming up in the Golden Gloves and seeing Floyd (Mayweather Jr.) fight at the MGM. It was crazy. I actually just saw Rihanna perform at the Super Bowl, and I thought that’s going to be me one day, and we’re here.”

What kind of lasting impact this fight will have on the sport beyond Saturday remains to be seen, but both fighters — even as they bickered all week — recognized its importance when they agreed to fight each. They are two boxers in their prime willing to take on each other rather than carefully choose other opponents to enhance their resumes.

They also are represented by rival promoters. Mayweather Promotions represents Davis, and Golden Boy Promotions handles Garcia.

Even the promoters argued before the fight, with Golden Boy’s Oscar De La Hoya claiming Mayweather’s Leonard Ellerbe and his camp protected Davis by insisting certain clauses be written into the contract. Ellerbe shot back that as the dominant side, they had the right to ask for certain stipulations.

“I know we talked a lot of trash leading into the fight, but (Davis) knows what it is,” Garcia said. “It’s all love at the end of the day. I was honored to be in the ring with a great fighter and I respect him a lot.”

Davis, at minus-250 at FanDuel Sportsbook and minus-210 at BetMGM, was a substantial betting favorite.

Davis’ victory could set up a showdown with undefeated Devin Haney, who owns all four major championship belts in the division. Haney faces former champ Vasiliy Lomachenko in May, also in Las Vegas.

Morrell called this “the best moment of my career” and said he wants to take on two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez.

“I don’t want any other guys at 168 pounds, just Benavidez,” Morrell said. “I respect Benavidez and his team, but inside the ring, I don’t respect nothing.”

The lack of big-name bouts that would’ve driven even casual fans to order pay-per-view helped create a noticeable lack of buzz in the sport.

Saturday’s 12-round lightweight showdown between undefeated challengers Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia doesn’t follow that path.

Both fighters are at the top of their games and because they opted to meet, they have sent needed electricity through the sport. The year’s most-anticipated fight will take place Saturday in Las Vegas.

“I feel like this fight is big for the sport,” said the 28-year-old Davis, who is from Baltimore. “We’re drawing in a lot of people and a win on that night is really like winning a world title again.”

Garcia, 24, said seeing his face around the Las Vegas Strip brought home the meaning of this fight.

“This is what I’ve dreamed of since I was a little boy and now I’m here,” said Garcia, who was born in Los Alamitos and lives in Porter Ranch.

Even though both sides recognize what Saturday means, there is genuine animosity between the boxers and their camps, a longtime war of words that continued through Thursday’s news conference.

Davis accused Garcia of possessing only a left hook, and Garcia said Davis didn’t have much punching power. They traded several barbs during the presser, calling each other delusional, and chirped again when they came face to face for the traditional pre-fight promotional pose.

Both promoters didn’t hold back, either.

Oscar De La Hoya, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, got it started by saying Davis’ camp kept asking for various contractual demands to be met, which “points to a team looking to protect their fighter. … Nothing feels worse than your team not believing in you.”

“That is a confident fighter,” De La Hoya said, looking at Garcia. “That’s why you’re going to see Ryan come out as the new face of boxing Saturday night.”

Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, didn’t back down.

“We’re the A-side of the situation,” Ellerbe said. “That’s how the A-side carries itself.”

Davis and Garcia had to be restrained at Friday’s weigh-in outside T-Mobile Arena as a raucous crowd of supporters for both boxers looked on.

After they tipped the scales under the 136-pound catchweight limit, Davis lightly shoved Garcia. Garcia responded with a return shove as several people associated with each respective fighter built a buffer to separate them.

Davis weighed 135.1 pounds; Garcia came in at 135.5, his lowest weight since January 2021.

Some of the back and forth this week likely was promotional schtick, but given the fight is a sellout and is expected to bring in major pay-per-view numbers, it didn’t need much extra hype.

De La Hoya and Ellerbe knew what was at stake when negotiating this match, and they put whatever differences they had aside to make it happen.

“It’s not often in today’s age you see two young fighters both undefeated, both in their prime, step in the ring together,” said Tom Brown, president of TGB Promotions. “This fight will be an instant classic, an all-out war, a Hagler versus Hearns. The good thing is with Tank Davis, we have Hagler.”

Marvin Hagler knocked out Thomas Hearns in the third round of their epic 1985 fight, one of the most action-packed bouts in history.

The Davis-Garcia winner could set up a showdown with undefeated Devin Haney, who owns all four major championship belts in this division. Haney faces former champ Vasiliy Lomachenko in May, also in Las Vegas.

Davis is a minus-290 favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, and he has devastating power. Of his 28 victories, 26 have come by knockout.

Part of what makes this match so intriguing is both boxers are capable of ending it at nearly any time. Garcia has won 19 of 23 matches through knockouts.

It’s like the 1990s when boxing fans knew they couldn’t miss any part of a Mike Tyson fight because he could end it within seconds. In this case, both boxers are capable of doing that.

A great show could elevate Davis or Garcia into a Tyson-like status that boxing badly needs, or at least begin generating the types of conversations in combat sports that have most recently been reserved for mixed martial arts.

In the co-main event, undefeated WBA super middleweight champion David Morrell Jr. faces former Olympic bronze medalist Yamaguchi Falcao. Morrell, 25, is 8-0 with seven knockouts, and 35-year-old Falcao is 24-1-1 and has won eight matches in a row, including five last year.

FanDuel lists Morrell as a minus-1,800 favorite.

MIAMI — Israel Adesanya wanted a quick rematch after a November loss to Alex Pereira stripped him of the 185-pound championship belt he’d held since 2019.

Five months later in UFC 287 in Miami early Sunday, Adesanya dropped the middleweight champion Pereira with two right hands, then raised his fists in triumph as he took back his middleweight championship belt and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest fighters in the sport’s history.

“I hope every one of you behind the screen or in this arena can feel this level of happiness just one time in your life,” Adesanya said. “But guess what, you’ll never feel this level of happiness if you don’t go for something.”

Pereira (7-2) landed a knee that pushed Adesanya (24-2) into the cage in the second round. Adesanya came off the cage with two right hooks and a right hammer fist, followed by ground and pound to end the fight at 4:21.

The 35-year-old Pereira had never lost to Adesanya. Before he scored a TKO win for the welterweight belt in UFC 281 in November, Pereira defeated Adesanya twice in kick boxing.

Adesanya, born in Nigeria but raised in New Zealand, entered the UFC in 2018 and won the middleweight belt a year later when he beat then-champion Robert Whittaker in a stunning knockout.

He successfully defended his title five times as he became one of the sport’s main draws. He was in unfamiliar territory Saturday as the challenger.

“They say revenge is sweet,” Adesanya said. “And if you know me, I’ve got a sweet tooth.”

Fighting in his hometown as the UFC returned to Miami for the first time in 20 years, Jorge Masvidal (35-17) lost a unanimous decision to fifth-ranked welterweight contender Gilbert Burns (22-5).

Burns hurt Masvidal with a series of head shots, and Masvidal appeared winded as the fight went on. Afterward, Burns paid respect to the veteran Masvidal.

“We’re here because of this guy, 52 pro fights,” Burns said to the crowd, which chanted “Let’s go Jorge” throughout. “Give it up for your guy.”

Masvidal, who turns 39 in November, entered the match on a three-fight losing streak having lost back-to-back title challenges to Kamaru Usman and a unanimous decision to longtime rival Colby Covington.

Masvidal appeared to retire from the sport after the loss.

“It’s been a long 20 years, 50-something fights,” said Masvidal, who entered the UFC in 2013. “Sometimes your favorite basketball player doesn’t have that three-pointer no more. Your favorite quarterback loses that rifle. And I don’t feel the same when I get in here.”

Veteran Rob Font (20-6) snapped Adrian Yanez’s (16-3) nine-fight winning streak with a knockout at 2:57 in the first round. They traded shots early before Font landed a powerful right hook that dropped Yanez. Font, who returned to pay-per-view for the first time in five years, finished the fight with ground and pound.

“It’s been a while since I got a finish,” Font said. “I needed this finish for myself. I needed it for my team. I needed it for my family.”

Kevin Holland (23-9) face planted Santiago Ponzinibbio (30-7) with a huge left hand at 3:16 of the final round of their welterweight bout, then jumped over the cage to talk to UFC president Dana White and former U.S. president Donald Trump, who were in a sold out crowd that featured Usman, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Tyson and more.

Ponzinibbio nailed a series of kicks to Holland’s legs throughout the fight. Holland was visibly in pain by the third round before a powerful left hook sent Ponzinibbio face-first into the mat.

Christian Rodriguez (9-1) handed 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. (7-1), the UFC’s youngest fighter, his first career loss with a unanimous decision win in the bantamweight main-card opener. In weigh-ins, Rodriguez was 137 pounds, one pound over the bantamweight limit, and he apologized immediately after the fight.

“First thing’s first, I want to apologize for being a pound overweight to the UFC and to Raul’s team,” Rodriguez said. ___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Israel Adesanya could have taken the easier path by fighting lesser opponents and building back his resume after losing to Alex Pereira in November at UFC 281.

Adesanya didn’t want to wait.

He will be back in the Octagon on Saturday for UFC 287 in Miami for a rematch for the middleweight championship.

Even though he is the challenger, the 33-year-old Adesanya is a minus-142 favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. He was either unaware of the betting line or chose to ignore it, offering his own narrative of a comeback that he called “one of the greatest storylines in MMA history.”

“Not many people get the opportunity to show how great they are, to rise to the occasion when all the odds are stacked against them, when people have counted them out,” Adesanya said. “For me, this fight I feel like the underdog. I feel like everyone’s counting me out. They’ve forgot what I’ve done in this game. They’ve forgot who I am, and it’s time to remind people how great I am.”

Maybe one reason Adesanya (23-2) wants this fight against Pereira (7-1) so quickly was because he was beating the Brazilian 39-37 on all three scorecards entering the fifth and final round at Madison Square Garden in New York. Pereira could only win by knockout, and that’s what he got 2:01 into the round.

That loss ended Adesanya’s 12-match winning streak at middleweight, one short of Anderson Silva’s record. It also stripped Adesanya of the belt he held since 2019.

“I know how I can beat this guy,” Adesanya said. “I know every time I fight this guy I’m dominating him and beating him, and then he has this special ability to recover and put his foot on the gas. So I have to find a way to take him out of the driver’s seat, which I will.”

Pereira has never lost to Adesanya, who was born in Nigeria but lives in New Zealand. Before the two met in November, Pereira defeated Adesanya twice in kickboxing.

Even in the most recent match, Pereira said he believed he had the upper hand despite trailing in points, and he proved that with the KO.

Pereira, 35, easily could have passed on Adesanya’s rematch wish when considering which opponent he wanted for his first title defense.

“He was a dominant champion,” Pereira said through an interpreter. “Maybe he could’ve done two or three (fights) before that, but he wanted to do it right away. I said, ‘No problem.’”

Fifth-ranked welterweight contender Gilbert Burns (21-5) will face No. 11 Jorge Masvidal (35-16) in the lead-up fight to the main event.

UFC President Dana White said he preferred Adesanya’s desire for a quick rematch over a fighter choosing the more cautious route.

“This guy’s a real fighter that wants to prove himself against the best, wants to be looked at as the best, wants to be looked at as one of the greatest of all time,” White said. “You’ve got to respect that. Those are the kind of guys I love. The guys who are strategic drive me crazy. There is no strategy. You have to fight everybody in the top ten. That’s it.

“What you want to do is create a legacy for yourself and prove to the world that not only are you the best in the world, but you’re the greatest of all time. That’s what everybody should be striving to do.”

Pereira is giving Adesanya that chance, but said one rematch was enough. He didn’t plan on creating the possibility for a UFC trilogy.

“I believe that me beating him this Saturday,” Pereira said, “I will never face him again.”

WWE and the company that runs Ultimate Fighting Championship will combine to create a $21.4 billion sports entertainment company.

A new publicly traded company will house the UFC and World Wrestling Entertainment brands, with Endeavor Group Holdings Inc. taking a 51% controlling interest in the new company. Existing WWE shareholders will hold a 49% stake.

The companies put the enterprise value of UFC at $12.1 billion and WWE’s value at $9.3 billion.

The new business, which does not yet have a name, will be lead by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel. Vince McMahon, executive chairman at WWE, will serve in the same role at the new company. Dana White will continue as president of UFC and Nick Khan will be president at WWE.

“Together, we will be a $21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity,” McMahon said in a prepared statement Monday.

He also provided some idea of where the focus of the new company will be, saying that it will look to maximize the value of combined media rights, enhance sponsorship monetization, develop new forms of content and pursue other strategic mergers and acquisitions to further bolster their brands.

Ties already exists talent wise between WWE and UFC, with stars such as Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey crossing over between the two businesses.

The deal between Endeavor and WWE catapults WWE into a new era, after functioning as a family-run business for decades. McMahon purchased Capitol Wrestling from his father in 1982, and took the regional wrestling business to a national audience with the likes of wrestling stars such as Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The company, which changed its name to World Wrestling Federation and later World Wrestling Entertainment, hosted its first WrestleMania in 1985.

McMahon, in an interview with CNBC, addressed the notion that there was doubt among some WWE fans and industry experts that he would ever make a deal for the business. “It’s the right time to do the right thing. And it’s the next evolution of WWE,” he said.

The announcement of the WWE sale arrives after McMahon, the founder and majority shareholder of WWE, returned to the company in January and said that it could be up for sale.

Rumors swirled about who would possibly be interested in buying WWE, with Endeavor, Disney, Fox, Comcast, Amazon and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund all in the mix.

McMahon acknowledged to CNBC that there were several suitors for WWE, but that combining with Endeavor is the right move.

“It makes all the sense in the world for all these synergies that we have to extract all of the value that we can out of the marketplace,” he explained.

Media industry analysts viewed WWE as an attractive target given its global reach and loyal fanbase, which includes everyone from minors to seniors and a wide range of incomes.

The company held its marquee event, WrestleMania, over the weekend. Last year, WWE booked revenue of $1.3 billion.

The company is also a social media powerhouse. It surpassed 16 billion social video views in the final quarter of last year. It has nearly 94 million YouTube subscribers and has more than 20 million followers on TikTok. Its female wrestlers comprise five out of the top 15 most followed female athletes in the world, across Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, led by Ronda Rousey with 36.1 million followers.

WWE had more than 7.5 billion digital and social media views in January and February of this year, up 15% from the same time frame a year ago.

The new company plans to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the “TKO” ticker symbol. Its board will have 11 members, with six being appointed by Endeavor and five being appointed by WWE.

“We like the assets of UFC and also WWE in a world where linear TV is losing market share to streaming, thus live sport content is in high demand,” wrote Jeffries analyst Randal Konik said in a note to clients.

The transaction, which was approved by the boards of Endeavor and WWE, is targeted to close in the second half of the year. It still needs regulatory approval.

Shares of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., based in Stamford, Connecticut, are up 33% this year, but fell 5% at the opening bell Monday. Shares of Endeavor, based in Beverly Hills, California, slipped less than 1%.

The top-ranked featherweight turned the tables on four Leah McCourt takedowns and delivered enough damage to win a unanimous decision in a hard-fought Bellator 293 co-main event Friday night at Pechanga Casino Resort.

The judges scored it 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 for the former UFC bantamweight title contender, who fights out of San Diego.

The entertaining scrap appeared to be a No. 1 contender bout – and Zingano said she wants to be champion while taking a jab at the current titleholder.

“I mean, right now it sounds like the belt is vacant half the time,” Zingano said, taking a shot at featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, who has embarked on a boxing career while awaiting an opponent and accusing Zingano of ducking her.

Cyborg responded to a tweet asking for comment: “Ask her who’s picture is hanging in @BellatorMMA champions row. Who’s on the posters in her locker room?”

Ask her who’s picture is hanging in @BellatorMMA champions row. Who’s on the posters in her locker room?

— CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) April 1, 2023

Zingano outstruck McCourt 48-44, and McCourt scored four takedowns to Zingano’s one. But it was Zingano’s ability to escape from the ground, as well as bruise and bloody McCourt’s face, that helped get her hand raised.

McCourt (7-3) appeared to control the opening round, but she emerged from it with a significant welt under her left eye. Felicia Oh, however, scored all three rounds for Zingano (14-4).

The 40-year-old Zingano, giving up 10 years to the taller and seemingly bigger Northern Irish 145-pounder, grappled effectively to negate McCourt’s efforts and displayed domination on the mat in the second round. The scorecards reflected that, with all three judges scoring it for Zingano.

“I’m hard to keep on my back. I’ve heard that before,” Zingano said. “She’s really tall and really strong and a lot of body. I’m not used to that, still, at this weight class. Yeah, I knew it was going to be a tussle with her, and it was going to be a lot of work.

“What I do know is I know how to cause damage and a lot of it. I think the damage made up for some of the transitional periods, and here we are.”

McCourt scored an early takedown to open the third round and held the position for half the round. Zingano scored her most important reversal, possibly saving her the fight.

As they rose against the cage, Zingano drove a knee to McCourt’s face and busted her open. Oh and Michael Bell scored the round for Zingano, while Chris Crall gave it to McCourt.

what a cut pic.twitter.com/mk3w8MxDCt

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) April 1, 2023

In other main card fights …

James flattens Golm: Heavyweight Daniel James opened the third round by flooring Marcelo Golm before calling out champion Ryan Bader.

The Chicago big man wound up on an uppercut and landed flush. A left and well-placed right sent Golm (10-4) stumbling and onto his face for the finish just 26 seconds into the round.

𝗛𝗘'𝗦 𝗢𝗨𝗧! @djames1981 storms out of the gates in round 3 and gets the KO!#Bellator293 | Watch LIVE on @SHOsports pic.twitter.com/3RYahPnsTV

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 1, 2023

In his postfight interview, James (15-6-1) respectfully asked for a title shot. Bader, who was in attendance, rose to his feet and appeared to welcome the challenge.

Salter goes out on top: John Salter (19-6) put an exclamation point on his 14-year MMA career by dominating Aaron Jeffery for a unanimous-decision victory.

All three judges scored it 30-27 for the 38-year-old middleweight, who announced he was retiring after the win, in which he often grappled successfully and worked for submissions on Jeffery (13-4).

Colgan cracks Montalvo: In a battle of unbeaten lightweights, Archie Colgan continued to lay a claim for stiffer competition after his first-round TKO of Justin Montalvo. Colgan (7-0) dropped Montalvo (5-1) with a right hook and later followed with eight punches to the downed 155-pounder before the fight was stopped at 3:33 of the opening round.

Trainer taps Cauley: Luke Trainer (7-1) needed just 2:58 to tap out Sullivan Cauley (5-1) via rear-naked choke. The British light heavyweight afterward proposed to his girlfriend in the cage.