By: Hans Themistode The Super Middleweight division has a new champion to contend with. Caleb Plant (18-0, 10 KOs) outclassed Jose Uzcategui (28-3, 23 KOs) tonight as he won a unanimous decision and picked up Uzcateguis IBF title in the process. The scorecards read 115-111 and two scores of 116-110 all in favor of the new champion. Plant did an excellent job of boxing and moving all night. Uzcategui just couldn’t seem to find a rhythm as Plant made him miss countless shots. It was no surprise that Uzcategui would be at a major disadvantage in the boxing department. However it was believed that he had the edge in terms of power. That seemed to be in favor of Plant as well as he knocked Uzcategui down early in the second round. He then placed the former champion on the canvas for the second time in the fourth round. The rest of the fight played out mostly under Plants terms. Hitting Uzcategui whenever he wanted while causing his opponent to hit nothing but air. The first half of the fight was all Plant but the second half however saw things become a lot more competitive. Uzcategui managed to his opponent with huge bombs as Plant seemed to be winded going down the stretch. Although Uzcategui came on strong during the championship rounds he gave away too many rounds in the first half of the fight to complete his comeback. Just a few short months ago Uzcategui was viewed as possibly the best at the Super Middleweight division. His ability to come forward and land big power shots were thought to have a damning effect on anyone he would be matched up with. Tonight Plant showed that the former champion is too one dimensional and took full advantage. A win over Uzcategui is impressive but it becomes even more eye opening when you consider just how dominant Plant was tonight. The Super Middleweight division has a ton of great fighters. However Plant might just be better than the rest.<doc-sep>by Cliff Rold If boxing were a movie, the hard luck underdog would win the title and ride off into the sunset in the final frame. Everyone goes home happy. Boxing isn’t a movie. What really happens is the underdog immediately becomes the hunted. With a belt in tow, they defend it as long as they can, collecting checks until someone can push them back in the pecking order. Jose Uzcategui wasn’t expected by most to upset Andre Dirrell for the interim IBF super middleweight belt in 2017. Ultimately, he didn’t. It made his story more pointed. Ahead on two of three cards, Uzcategui was disqualified for a shot after the bell and then took a foul shot from one of Dirrell’s cornermen. The whole affair led to a rematch. The second time, Uzcategui landed all the shots he needed before the bell. He dominated Dirrell and has since been elevated to the full IBF title. Now, he makes his first defense on a well-advertised Sunday night (FS1, 8 PM EST). Does Uzcategui extend his happy ending or is it Caleb Plant’s turn to heads towards the light? Let’s get into it. Stats and Stakes Jose Uzcategui Age: 28 Title: IBF super middleweight (2018-Present, 1stAttempted Defense) Previous Titles: None Height: 6’2 Weight: 165 ¼ lbs. Stance: Orthodox Hails from: Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico (Born in Venezuela) Record: 28-2, 23 KO Press Rankings: #3 (Ring), #4 (ESPN), #5 (Boxing Monthly), #8 (TBRB, BoxRec) Record in Major Title Fights: 1-1, 1 KO in interim title fights Last Five Opponents: 112-32-2 (.774) Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: None Vs. Caleb Plant Age: 26 Title/Previous Titles: None Height: 6’1 Weight: 166 ¾ lbs. Stance: Orthodox Hails from: Henderson, Nevada Record: 17-0, 10 KO Press Rankings: Unrated – IBF mandatory Record in Major Title Fights: 1st title fight Last Five Opponents: 112-28-4 (.792) Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: None The Case for Uzcategui: The defending beltholder is the more experienced pro and has shown steady improvement over the years. His pressing approach has become more refined and he’s a hard guy to keep at bay. Uzcategui has quick hands, puts them together in combination, and changes speeds well. While he was down against Matt Korobov in 2014, his chin has otherwise been reliable and Plant doesn’t appear too big a puncher. Uzcategui doesn’t always use his jab as much as he could but he can make up for that in the way he doubles up on his left hook to the body and head. Plant can be a hard target so Uzcategui has to be thinking about how to work in several blows at a time and keep his output consistent. If he’s willing to miss a few to land enough, he gives himself his best chances on the cards. If he can get to Plant’s body early and force him to the ropes, he’ll have a chance for more as Plant’s resistance hasn’t been tested at this level yet. The Case for Plant: Plant enters with a lopsided, if dull, victory over veteran Rogelio Medina. Medina is the most notable common foe for both men. Plant beat him by a wider margin; Uzcategui beat Medina when he had fewer miles on him. Plant’s lack of experience doesn’t mean there aren’t visible assets working in his favor. Plant is probably about the equal of Uzcategui in quickness and he’s used to working to win the most rounds in any given fight. Plant’s win over Medina went twelve; his previous three wins all went the full ten. Plant’s defensive skill set is what could mean victory on Sunday. His head and upper body movement are excellent and his footwork helps his to control distance. He picks his spots for offense, working with a long jab, a sneaky right, and whipping shots to the body. If he can stifle Uzcategui’s offense and stop him from getting on a roll, Plant has a real chance to win. The Pick: This is a tough fight to handicap because we’re still learning a bit about the ceiling for both fighters. Was the rematch performance against Dirrell the best we can see from Uzcategui? Is Plant the sort of defensive cutie who gets even better when the pressure is greater? We’re about to find out. The thinking here is Uzcategui is strong enough to stay close to Plant and, while he’ll miss his share, the punches he lands will be harder and he’ll force the fight enough for that to count. It’s the sort of contest where we could see divergent scores as the judges have to determine whether aggression in effective or who is really playing the ring general. In a close fight, it’s sometimes easier to favor the man who is making the fight and so the pick is the more seasoned Uzcategui, maybe by a split or majority decision. Rold Picks 2019: 0-0 Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com<doc-sep>"And the new!" Caleb Plant declared prior to Sunday's IBF super middleweight title bout with Jose Uzcategui that everyone would hear those words, and the 26-year-old proved himself right. After dropping Uzcategui twice in the first four rounds, Plant held off a late comeback attempt to remain undefeated and win his first world title by unanimous decision at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The two fighters didn't take long to see what the other was made of, launching flurries and combos all first-round long. The fierce action continued into the second round, as Plant (18-0, 10 KOs) scored a knockdown less than a minute into the round with a combo that ended with a left hook. Uzcategui (28-3, 23 KOs) may have been slightly off-balance, but a knockdown is a knockdown -- especially considering the Venezuelan had only been knocked down twice coming into the bout. In the fourth round, a cut opened up over Plant's right eye, but the far busier and quicker challenger shook it off to send Uzcategui tumbling down yet again with another wicked left hook. Both fighters actually hit each other at the same time during the exchange, but Plant's shot was clearly more effective. The much more deliberate Uzcategui had his moments as the fight went on, especially in the later rounds. He appeared to hurt plant in an action-packed ninth with a wicked uppercut, and kept up the pressure the rest of the way, searching for the knockout -- though he was never able to get it, and didn't really come close. Even as Plant slowed down, and was no longer able to dazzle Uzcategui quite as much with his quickness, he did more than enough to hold on and secure the victory on the scorecards by a comfortable margin (116-110, 116-110, 115-111). Though he appeared to know he won the fight right after the final bell -- he raced around the ring with his hands held high above his head -- he still crumpled to the floor in jubilation as the official announcement was made. Plant had overcome plenty of adversity to get to this point in his career, including the death of his daughter.<doc-sep>“Sweethands” lived up to his moniker, not only winning a 168-pound title—but turning in a star-making performance in Los Angeles. His nickname is “Sweethands,” and now the boxing world knows why. Caleb Plant’s fists were sweeter than sugar on Sunday night. In his first shot at a world title, Plant put on a brilliant display of boxing against power-punching champion Jose Uzcategui, winning a unanimous decision and his first world title in the main event of PBC on FS1 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Plant, not known for his punching power, knocked Uzcategui down twice, in the second and fourth rounds, with lightning-quick left hooks each time. The 26-year-old will take his newly minted IBF super middleweight title and still perfect record (18-0, 10 KOs) back to Tennessee. Judges Max DeLuca and Zachary Young both scored the fight 116-110, while Lou Moret scored it 115-111. Plant had said this week that all he wanted to hear was “And the new . . .” and that’s exactly what he heard when ring announcer Ray Flores read the decision. Upon hearing those words, Plant, blood dripping from a cut outside his right eye that occurred in the third round, dropped to his knees, his lifelong dream finally realized. “I’ve worked my whole lifetime for this, 17 years straight,” Plant said, tears flowing. “I buried my daughter in the process of trying to get this belt. I promised her that I would become world champion and bring her this title, and that’s exactly what I’m going to go back to Tennessee and do. “Nashville, stand up,” he shouted in reference to his hometown. Plant lost his 19-month-old daughter, Alia, in 2015 to a rare disease. He has been fighting for her ever since. Uzcategui, 28, also lost a 3-year-old daughter several years ago from a heart defect. Both fighters have drawn inspiration from their misfortune. This fight was originally scheduled for last August, but Plant broke his left hand during training camp, pushing the date back. He showed no ill-effects on this night. Plant moved beautifully early on, beating Uzcategui to the punch and scoring with a strong jab. Uzcategui missed often, as Plant ducked and feinted and slipped punches while landing to the head and body—looking almost Floyd Mayweather-like in the process. It’s no coincidence that Plant, who now resides in Las Vegas, has spent much time at the Mayweather Boxing Club. A counter left hook in the middle of an exchange dropped an off-balance Uzcategui down in the second—only the third time in his career. He rose, seemingly unhurt, and continued to stalk the challenger, who peppered him in the process. Early in the fourth, a bad cut opened over Plant’s right eye. The American showed grit, fighting through it although it times it appeared to impair his vision. Energized by seeing blood, Uzcategui began letting his hands go. Midway through the stanza, they traded hooks. Both landed; Plant’s punch was significantly harder, driving Uzcategui across the ring and to the mat. This time, when he rose, his legs appeared unsteady. However, Plant didn’t press his advantage, sticking to his game plan of a smart, outside fight. Plant continued to pile up the points as the fight progressed. He landed an assortment of shots to the head and body, leading and countering—almost at will. And his defense was sublime. Uzcategui was game but flummoxed. He rebounded in the ninth, rocking Plant with a short right uppercut on the inside. The challenger wisely clinched to survive the follow-up onslaught. After losing the tenth, Plant bounced back in the eleventh, showing skill in close quarters and beating Uzcategui to the punch at a distance. After the final bell, Plant jumped on the ropes, raising both arms in history. He had finally realized his dream. Brandon Figueroa passes tough test, stopping Moises Flores in three rounds Brandon Figueroa made a bold statement Sunday night, punishing Moises Flores with a flurry of body shots, as the 22-year-old Texan remained undefeated and moved closer to a title shot with a third-round knockout of Moises Flores, a former title challenger. Figueroa (18-0, 13 KOs), “The Heartbreaker,” came out aggressively and never gave Flores much of a chance to even fight back, pounding away at the Mexican’s body with powerful shots that made him wince. Flores went down twice, the second time on a left hook that took whatever steam he had left out of him. Referee Jack Reiss had seen enough and stopped it at 1:25 of the third round of the scheduled 12-round junior featherweight bout. Asked what his message would be to WBA junior featherweight champion Daniel Roman, he said, “I am really strong. I came in at 110 percent and did my job. I am most definitely ready for a title shot. I’m going to go back home and start training and I’m ready for it.” Figueroa is the younger brother of former champion Omar Figueroa Jr. Joey Spencer keeps KO streak perfect Sensational teenage prospect Joey Spencer sent 39-year-old challenger Brandon Harder down to one knee three times en route to a second-round TKO. This was his sixth win in as many fights. All have ended in knockouts. Spencer, 18, the Premier Boxing Champions’ 2018 Prospect of the Year, countered the awkward style of Harder, a former cop and fireman, by essentially standing in the middle of the ring and pot-shotting his opponent, who spent most of his less than two rounds keeping his distance from Spencer. After Harder took a knee for the third time, and second time in the second round, referee Jack Reiss stopped it at 1:27 of the round. Spencer is ready to step up the competition. “The goal is to move to six rounds next, that’s in the plans and I think that’s going to happen. I look forward to it.” Guillermo Rigondeaux KOs Giovanni Delgado in PBC debut Former champion and pound-for-pound contender Guillermo Rigondeaux, fighting for the first time in 13 months and for the first time with Ronnie Shields as his trainer, wasted little time in handling Giovanni Delgado.<doc-sep>
Even those who picked Caleb Plant to win had to be surprised by the way he did it Sunday. Plant lifted the IBF super middleweight title from Jose Uzcategui in their FS1-televised main event, earning a unanimous decision (116-110, 116-110 and 115-111). It wasn’t a Plant win in the way we’ve become accustomed to seeing it. He scored a pair of knockdowns during the first four rounds — something he hadn’t done against lesser opposition in his previous two bouts that went the distance. Join DAZN and watch more than 100 fight nights a year Plant surprised the crowd in the second round when he dropped Uzcategui with a left hand after turning his opponent with beautiful footwork. Uzcategui didn’t look badly hurt, but it put a big dent in the Colombian-born fighter’s confidence early on. It also forced Uzcategui to respect Plant’s power — a key to Plant’s success Sunday. Later, Plant scored another left-handed knockdown that sent Uzcategui spiraling to the canvas. Plant decided not to put his foot on the gas as Uzcategui didn't look badly hurt. "I knew I caught him clean during those knockdowns, but I knew he wasn't all the way out, so I took my time," Plant said. "I stayed relaxed, I stuck to the game plan and got it done just like I said I would." That being said, Plant's strategy to not fully pressure Uzcategui nearly cost him during the middle rounds. That's when the champion got stronger as the fight progressed, and Plant’s handspeed advantage got slimmer. Plant looked as though he was tiring a bit and his face was a bloody mask, with blood pouring from his right eye and nose. Still, Plant would not be deterred. As he’s said in interviews, he has been through much tougher in his outside-the-ring life, having buried his 19-month-old daughter, Alia, a few years ago. During the ninth round, Uzcategui had Plant hurt, but the challenger was unwilling to go to the canvas. It was the toughest stretch of the fight Plant had to endure, but he made it through. There was question of whether he was jumping into water that was too deep, but he proved he was ready for the task. Uzcategui continued to come on strong, but was unable to cut off the ring with much success. Plant got on his bicycle in the 12th and fended off the reckless aggression of his opponent to win by unanimous decision. (Sporting News scored the bout 114-112 for Plant). The new champ will bring the title back to Tennessee to where his daughter rests, fulfilling the promise he made to her that he would one day be champion. “I’ve worked my whole entire life for this,” said Plant. “Boxing 17 hard years. I buried my daughter in the process of trying to get this belt. I promised I would bring her this title and that is what I am going to do.” Plant comes from Ashland City, with a population of less than 5,000 people. It's a poverty-stricken town that's been hit hard by the opioid crisis in the past few decades and Plant went into the fight intent to prove that you don't have to be a victim of your environment. "This is overwhelming," Plant said. "I am a kid who came from nothing. I believed in myself and now I've been crowned king." With the win, Plant is the only white American boxer who is also a world champion. He wouldn't state who he wants to face next, instead saying his focus is on soaking it all in. **** -Super bantamweight contender Brandon Figueroa (18-0, 13 KOs) passed another test in Sunday night’s co-main event, stopping former title challenger Moises Flores (25-2, 17 KOs) in the third round. After battering Flores early, Figueroa dropped Flores hard with a left hook early in the third. Flores made it to his feet, but was unable to weather the storm, getting dropped again, causing referee Jack Reiss to stop the fight at 1:35. The fight was an eliminator for the WBA belt held by Daniel Roman. Figueroa told Sporting News after the bout that he’s confident in himself and he’s ready for a title fight. -Guillermo Rigondeaux (18-1, 12 KOs) made it look easy in his first fight under the PBC banner, demolishing Giovanni Delgado (16-9, 9 KOs) in the closing seconds of the opening round.