Rolly Romero vs. Teofimo Lopez live results, round-by-round updates, ring walks for tonight’s WBA title fight

Within 10 seconds we have a clinch. No punches, but holding already. Here’s hoping that’s not a preview for how this 12-round fight will go. It’s a battle of tall southpaws in the ring. Santillan and Russell have exchanged on a couple of occasions in the first minute. Not much from either to separate themselves through two minutes. It’s a battle of jabs to open the final minute. Santillan looks for a left to the body. Santillan connects with a hook. They trade body shots. As pointed out by the commentary team, these two are doing some very similar things on the inside.

10-9 Santillan

Victor Santillan (16-2, 7 KOs) and Gary Antonio Russell (21-1, 13 KOs) contest the vacant WBA interim super bantamweight title.

96-94 Utria

96-94 Mercado

97-93 to the winner by split decision, Carlos Utria.

That decision was booed throughout T-Mobile Arena.

Mercado lets his hands go to begin Round 10. Mercado is looking to break punch records with his output in the first minute of this frame. If he has more energy left in the tank, this is the time to show it, and that is what he’s doing. Mercado is the one who is active in this round. How much does Utria still have in the tank? Utria is being outworked, outhustled, and outfought in Round 10.

10-9 Mercado. Final score: 96-94 Mercado.

Into the penultimate frame and Uncrowned has them even. Nice right hook for Mercado in a combination. Utria lands a strong lead hook. Another hook scores as Mercado was dipping low. Rights are finding the target for Utria. Jab for Mercado. Another left connects. Body shot is the response from Utria. Utria has tried to slow the pace down, but he got caught by a right that time. And now Mercado is letting his hands go.

10-9 Mercado, 86-85 Mercado

Two power shots over the top from Mercado. Mercado is swinging big early in Round 8. Utria walks Mercado on a pair of jabs, and a right-hand finds the target. Mercado responds. And now he lands a great combination as Utria was on the ropes. Good combination on the inside for Utria, but he eats a left-hand counter after. Nice right for Utria – that knocked Mercado’s head back. Lovely right from Mercado and a power left hook after it. Mercado is so determined to win this fight. It’s that extra effort in the final minute of these rounds that could prove decisive. Exchanges to close out the eighth.

10-9 Mercado, 76-76

A strong body shot finds the target for Utria to begin Round 7. He is looking for that left hook downstairs at the end of every combination now. Big power punches are landing on the chin now too — Mercado is too busy covering his body. Mercado lands a jab, but Utria catches him with a counter right. Mercado enjoys success with a combination as Utria was backed up on the ropes. Not much going on from Utria in this final minute. He may be tiring.

10-9, 67-66 Utria

He landed his best shot of the fight, a left hook to the body in the frame, and seemed to connect with impactful power shots throughout.

All to fight for in the final four.

10-9 Utria, 57-57

I have Israel Mercado narrowly ahead against Carlos Utria. Utria is the more talented fighter; he has the better skill set, but is being consistently outworked by Mercado. Mercado lets his hands go with regularity — he throws in combinations, he swings wild shots, and he does use the jab as well as you can as a shorter fighter. Mercado needs to invest more downstairs and throw more upstairs behind the jab. He is at risk of losing this fight just because Mercado seems to want it more.

Body shot connects for Mercado. A lead left hook scores. Utria hasn’t done much in this first minute. They exchange jabs. Nice long right-hand from the Colombian. Mercado is doing some good work with combination punching in this second minute. Utria is at risk of being outlanded again. Overhand right and a wide left hook finds a home for Mercado – they were wild shots but somehow still connected. Jab from Mercado to seal that frame.

10-9, 48-47 Mercado

One-two connects for Utria to begin the fourth. And again, and then to the body he goes. Much better work from Utria to begin this frame. Left hook to the body for Utria in an exchange. Mercado throws a combination and then adds a left hook after it. Another hook downstairs for the Colombian. Mercado does walk Utria into a right hand. Utria is still nonchalant with how he breaks the distance. Utria has had much more offensive success in this frame, but it certainly hasn’t been one-sided. Nice flurry for Mercado to end the session.

10-9 Utria, 38-38

Power shots connecting from both in exchanges. Utria’s work to the body has been by far his best in this fight, but Mercado responds just as well downstairs. Utria just isn’t doing enough. Mercado is the one forcing the fight; he is letting his hands go, and now he does catch Utria with an overhand right in the closing seconds. Utria needs to let his hands go.

10-9, 29-28 Mercado

A trio of rights misses from Utria to open Round 2. Some good bodywork from Mercado in the second minute. Utria is falling short with his swings, while Mercado is connecting with his shots. Double jab for Utria. More misses from Utria, and he gets caught with a hook too. Lovely counter right for Mercado.

10-9 Mercado, 19-19

It’s a battle of right-handers in our pay-per-view opener. Utria clearly has a reach advantage and is trying to establish his jab early. He has landed with that shot a couple of times in the first minute. Mercado is being forced onto the backfoot. Now, Utria stabs to the body a few times. He continues that body attack in the second minute. Right-hand to left hook two-piece lands for Mercado. Utria connects with a right-hand and then takes his offense downstairs. Utria does miss with an overhand afterward. Some of these combinations from the Colombian are wild and missing widely. A clean right lands for Utria; Mercado comes back with a hook. They are letting bombs go early!

10-9 Utria

Colombian super lightweight prospect Carlos Utria (14-0, 11 KOs) battles Israel Mercado (13-1-2, 7 KOs) in a 10-round bout that opens our pay-per-view card.

This is only the second PBC show on DAZN since the groundbreaking partnership was announced a couple of months ago. It is also Teofimo Lopez’s first fight signed exclusively to DAZN.

Although Jack Catterall, WBA mandatory, has first dibs.