After more than one year on the sidelines, newly-minted free agent, Canelo Alvarez returns to action tonight (Sat., Dec. 19, 2020) to face Super Middleweight champion, Callum Smith, inside The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of tonight’s main event below. The DAZN-streamed broadcast (watch it here) kicks off at 8 p.m. ET, with Alvarez and Smith likely to make the walk closer to 11 p.m. ET.

Alvarez — still considered among the sport’s top stars — hasn’t seen action since knocking out Sergey Kovalev for the WBO Light Heavyweight belt in Nov. 2019. A planned May bout with Billy Joe Saunders fell through because of COVID-19 and he proved unable to land an opponent for September. As a result of this (and other issues), he parted ways with long-time promoter, Golden Boy, and now fights as an independent for the first time in a decade.

Smith affirmed his status as the sport’s top Super Middleweight with an impressive run in the World Boxing Super Series, where he ultimately knocked out George Groves to claim the WBA “Super” title. He subsequently knocked out veteran Hassan N’Dam, then narrowly squeaked past powerful countryman John Ryder five months later.

The card was originally supposed to feature a co-main event between all-action Flyweight champ Julio Cesar Martinez and contender Francisco Rodriguez Jr., but that fell through when the former came down with gastroenteritis. It still features several top prospects, including Heavyweight Frank Sanchez, Houston Middleweight Austin “Ammo” Williams, and 20-year-old Super Middleweight, Alexis Espino.

Canelo Vs. Smith Quick Results:

Canelo Alvarez vs. Callum Smith — Alvarez def. Smith by unanimous decision (119-109 x2, 117-111)
Frank Sanchez vs. Julian Fernandez — Sanchez def. Hernandez by TKO at 1:35 of Round Seven
Raymond Ford vs. Juan Antonio Lopez — Ford def. Lopez by TKO at 1:14 of Round Seven
Austin Williams vs. Isiah Jones — Williams def. Jones by TKO at 1:29 of Round One
Marc Castro vs. Luis Javier Valdes — Castro def. Valdes by KO at 1:59 of Round Three
Christian Gomez Duran vs. Angel Hernandez — Duran def. Hernandez by KO at 1:54 of Round Three
Alexis Eduardo Molina vs. Robert Greenwood — Majority draw (39-37, 37-37 x2)

Canelo Vs. Smith Round-By-Round Updates:

WBC/WBA “Super” Super Middleweight Championship: Canelo Alvarez vs. Callum Smith

Round one: Smith takes the center, sends out jabs. Right cross sneaks through among the jabs. Both try left hooks, Smith bangs the body. Halfway through. More jabs from Smith. Alvarez tries the left hook again, avoids an uppercut. High-low 1-2. He tries a 1-3, digs a right to the body. 11-2 bounces off the guard at the bell. 10-9 Alvarez.

Round two: Alvarez slowly advancing. Smith keeping his jab in Alvarez’s face, takes one in return. Alvarez digs a right downstairs. Smith combination, more jabs. Not a lot of them landing clean. Halfway through. Smith to the body, eats a jab, left hook, and body shot. They trade at close range. Alvarez 1-2 downstairs, lands a jab. He backs Smith to the ropes, tries a pull-back right, clinch. Stiff Alvarez jabs. 10-9, 20-18 Alvarez.

Round three: Left hook attempt from Alvarez to start. Smith staying active with the jab and right cross. Tight uppercut from Alvarez, right cross from Smith. Alvarez lands a left hook and jab upstairs. Alvarez continuing to walk him down, though the exchanges are largely even. Halfway through. Alvarez splits his guard with a right cross. They trade body shots. Alvarez jab, Smith counter right. 1-2 from Smith. 1-2 lands for Alvarez, double jab on the ropes. Combination. Smith having issues staying off the ropes, but comes back with a good combo. Alvarez to the body. 10-9, 30-27 Alvarez.

Round four: Good series of jabs from Smith. Left hook and uppercut glance off. Alvarez cracks him with a right hand against the ropes. Heavy shots. They exchange near the corner. Smith to the body. Alvarez with a right cross, eats a 1-2 tin return. Both rip body hooks. Halfway through. Smith blocks a combo. Jabs from Smith, body shot from Alvarez. Alvarez lands a right cross, absorbs an uppercut. 3-2 from Alvarez. Counter uppercut. 10-9, 40-36 Alvarez.

Round five: Uppercut and body shot land for Smith. Alvarez continuing to back him up. Combination from the champ. Alvarez tries a left hook, avoids an uppercut and body shot. Jab exchange. Smith trying to land body shots. Halfway through. Jab and body shot land for Alvarez on the ropes. Smith with some nice right hands. Trading jabs. Alvarez digs a left hook downstairs. They trade at close range. Alvarez walking him down, lands an uppercut. 10-9, 50-45 Alvarez.

Round six: Alvarez looks for early body shots. Left hook from Smith. Smith with some pot shots. Good overhand right and body shot land for Alvarez. 1-1-2 from Smith lands well. Halfway through. Right cross in combination. Alvarez loads up for a right hand on the ropes. Smith tries a combo. Alvarez with a right downstairs. Alvarez double jab. Jabs from Smith, counter right. 10-9 Smith, 59-55 Alvarez.

Round seven: Trading jabs. Smith lands to the body. Left hook lands in combination. Alvarez swings hard on the ropes. Smith with an uppercut and body shot. Alvarez splits his guard with an uppercut and they trade on the ropes. Smith with a right downstairs, takes a hook to the body. Good trade in the corner. Jab exchange. Hard uppercut lands for Alvarez. Smith backs him off with a 1-2. Alvarez lands on the ropes. Long right cross, avoids the return uppercut. Smith bounces a combo off the guard. Clinch. 10-9, 69-64 Alvarez.

Round eight: Smith continuing to fight off the back foot, eats some right hands on the ropes. Alvarez with a body shot and counter hook. Left hook connects, Smith comes back with a right hand and series of hooks. Alvarez tries a 1-2-1-2 on the ropes. Halfway through. Good right from Smith. Alvarez loading up on the ropes. Smith with some right hands, eats a big uppercut. Alvarez lands a jab, eats a good right hand. Smith takes himself off-balance with a left hook. Alvarez digs a right downstairs. 10-9, 79-73 Alvarez.

Round nine: Alvarez on the advance once again. Heavy right hand. Smith tries to sit and trade with him, cracked with an uppercut in combination. Hard right hand from Smith. Alvarez to the head and body against the ropes. Counter 2-1 by Smith. Left hook lands. Alvarez answers with a booming right hand halfway through the round. Smith lands a right around the guard and a stiff jab. Alvarez walking in without fear, unleashing combos when Smith hits the ropes. 1-1-2, body shot. Smith goes high-low. Nasty uppercut visibly stings Smith. Alvarez continues to walk him down. 10-9, 89-82 Alvarez.

Round ten: Early left hook lands for Smith. He’s still throwing with the same volume, but he just can’t keep Canelo off of him. Hard left hook from Alvarez. Right hand to the body. More right hands on the ropes. Smith launches some right hands, none land clean. More hard shots on the ropes from Alvarez halfway through. Another right to the midsection. Combo by Smith. Much heavier one from Alvarez. Forcing Smith to the ropes, continuing to land. 1-1-2 from Alvarez. Hard right hands and a left hook downstairs. Smith tries to swat him with rights. 10-9, 99-91 Alvarez.

Round eleven: Smith with a right hand and body shot. Alvarez digs a right to the body, absorbs a combination. Left hook upstairs. Clean 1-2. Body shot. Smith tries a 1-2, Alvarez rolls with it. Halfway through. Smith sends out combinations, gets blasted with a right hand after they bounce off the guard. Alvarez with another right, met by a jab. Hard body shot again by Alvarez. Alvarez continuing to stalk, goes high-low. Smith lands a left hook, whiffs on a right, clinch. 10-9, 109-100 Alvarez.

Round twelve: More pressure from Alvarez, more hard right hands. Big overhand on the ropes. Smith tries to uncork a four-piece. Combination from Alvarez. 1-1-1-2. Left hooks high and low, he slips out of the way of Smith’s return fire. Two right hands from Smith. Halfway through. Trading at close range. Alvarez tees off on the ropes. Good right hand after a brief lull. 10-9, 119-109 Alvarez.

Final result: Alvarez def. Smith by unanimous decision

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