Caleb Plant and Jose Armando Resendiz squared off in the main event at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 31. The contest featured the former super middleweight champion of Nashville, TN defending his interim WBA title against the opponent from Mexico.
The scheduled 12-round bout went the full distance. Resendiz pulled off an upset, defeating Plant by split decision. One judge scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Plant, while two other judges scored it 116-112 for Resendiz.
With the victory, Jose Armando Resendiz became the new interim WBA super middleweight champion. In addition to the belt, the 26-year-old native of Guayabitos, Nayarit, Mexico earned his second straight victory, improving to 16-2, 11 KOs.
“I knew that everybody was going to be against me, because on paper of course he was the favorite, but I believed in myself,” said Resendiz. “My corner believed in me. And then we did exactly what we came to do.”
“I didn’t really worry about what people say. I knew I was going to win. I didn’t worry at all. I knew it was gonna be a tough fight and we gave them a great fight… I’m ready to fight anyone. Whoever the public wants.”
‘I felt like I did good’
Caleb Plant didn’t succeed in his first ring appearance of the year. The Las Vegas-based 32-year-old dropped to 23-3, 14 KOs and lost his strap.
“I felt like it was close and in a close fight, sometimes it switches the other way,” said Plant. “I feel like I was in control enough and using the whole ring, using my jab, but the judges saw it the other way.”
“It wasn’t that he was putting so much pressure on me. He caught me with one overhand right. That was pretty good. But other than that, nothing really hurt me or stunned me.”
“I felt like I did good. I used my jab, I used the whole ring and was patient, but I wasn’t the better man tonight… I’ll just get back with my team. Go home to my family, spend time with my daughter. My son’s on the way and you know we’ll regroup and we’ll be back.”
At this stage, the plan for Plant to set up a fight with Jermall Charlo, who stopped Thomas LaManna in the co-feature, appears to be derailed.