All expectations leading into the weekend pointed towards a significant future clash between Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo. However, 26-year-old Armando Resendiz had a different outcome in mind.
In a major upset on Saturday at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Resendiz (16-2, 11 KOs) defeated former IBF super middleweight champion Plant (23-3, 14 KOs) by split decision. Two judges scored the bout 116-112 in favor of Resendiz, while the third judge scored it 115-113 for Plant.
This result significantly impacts the potential bout between Plant and Charlo (34-0, 22 KOs). Charlo had done his part earlier in the evening on the same card, securing a sixth-round knockout victory over Thomas LaManna in the co-main event. Plant`s loss came as a substantial surprise, as he was a 25-1 betting favorite going into his fight.
“I knew everyone was going to be against me,” Resendiz stated through an interpreter after the fight. “On paper, of course, that was the case. But I had faith in myself, and my corner believed in me. I wasn`t really anxious [about the split decision]. I left everything to God. I didn`t worry at all. I knew it was a challenging fight, a great fight.”
Plant, whose only two prior defeats were against elite fighters Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez, mentioned that he felt he had done enough to secure the victory but mostly refrained from strongly disputing the judges` scores.
“I felt like it was close, and in close fights, sometimes the decision goes the other way,” Plant commented. “I felt I maintained sufficient control, effectively using my jab. The judges saw it differently. What can you do? I felt I performed well and was patient. I suppose I wasn`t the better fighter tonight.”
Resendiz, fighting out of Mexico, asserted himself strongly as the superior fighter over the final six rounds. The initial half of the bout was competitive, with Plant dictating some of the action primarily with his jab and short hooks on the inside. However, Resendiz began inflicting damage in the later rounds by unleashing powerful shots to the body and opening a cut above Plant`s right eye. Resendiz came on strong in the second half of Saturday’s fight, causing a cut over Caleb Plant’s right eye and ultimately securing the split-decision victory.
Attention may now shift towards a potential confrontation between Resendiz and Charlo. Charlo had been inactive since November 2023 and has fought only twice since the beginning of 2021, but he looked impressive in his 168-pound debut on Saturday. He knocked LaManna down in both the third and fourth rounds before a ringside physician recommended stopping the contest just one second into the sixth round.
Ellis Thorne 
Percy Harlow