Before the weekend, a highly anticipated showdown between Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo seemed likely. However, 26-year-old Armando Resendiz significantly disrupted those plans with a stunning performance.
Resendiz, boasting a record of 16 wins and 2 losses with 11 knockouts, achieved a significant upset victory against Plant (23-3, 14 KOs) on Saturday night at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. Resendiz defeated the former IBF super middleweight champion via split decision. Two judges scored the bout 116-112 in favor of Resendiz, while the third judge scored it 115-113 for Plant.
This outcome likely sidelines a potential future clash between Plant and Charlo (34-0, 22 KOs). Charlo had successfully done his part earlier in the evening, securing a sixth-round knockout victory over Thomas LaManna in the co-main event. Charlo`s win came just before Plant, who entered his fight as a substantial 25-1 betting favorite, suffered the unexpected loss.
Speaking through an interpreter, Resendiz commented on the situation: “I knew everyone was going to be against me. On paper, of course, it looked like that. But I believed in myself, and my corner believed in me. I didn’t really worry [about the split decision]. I left it all to God. I didn’t worry at all. I knew it was a tough fight, a great fight.”
Plant, whose only two previous defeats were against boxing stars Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez, stated that he believed he had performed well enough to win but largely refrained from strongly challenging the judges` scores.
“I felt like it was close, and in close fights, sometimes it swings the other way,” Plant explained. “I felt like I had enough control, using my jab. The judges saw it the other way. What can you do? I felt like I did good. I was patient. I wasn’t the better man tonight, I guess.”
Resendiz, hailing from Mexico, emphatically established himself as the superior fighter during the final six rounds. The initial half of the bout was competitive, with Plant effectively using his jab and short hooks inside to control some exchanges. However, Resendiz began to land impactful power shots, particularly to the body, in the later rounds, which visibly affected Plant and opened a cut above his right eye.
Following this result, attention might now shift towards a potential matchup between Resendiz and Charlo. Charlo had been relatively inactive, having not fought since November 2023. He has competed only twice since the beginning of 2021 but appeared sharp in his 168-pound debut on Saturday. He knocked down LaManna in the third and fourth rounds before the ringside physician advised the referee to stop the fight immediately at the start of the sixth round.