:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1010400/uspw_6110426.jpg)
Last night at New York's Theater at Madison Square Garden, Sergio Martinez retained his world middleweight championship with a dominant finishing run against Matthew Macklin, stopping the challenger after the 11th round when Macklin's corner pulled him out of the fight following two hard knockdowns.
Also on the card, Edwin Rodriguez won a clear decision over Don George in a 168-pound fight. Here's what the featured winners and Macklin had to say after the fights.
* * * * *
Sergio Martinez
"It was a complicated fight. He wasn't open on defense. I knew it was a 12-round fight. I knew that it was only a matter of time. It's like chopping a tree - little by little - and I knew he would fall."
Matthew Macklin
"My right hand to chest, straight punch to the chest, was working for me. It was hard for him to nail me. He didn't think I could box smart."
"Buddy stopped the fight, I wanted to continue.I worked with Buddy on technical things. He polished me but I resorted back in the last two or three rounds. We only had 10 weeks working together to fight the best middleweight in the world."
Brian Peters (Macklin's Co-Promoter)
"We called it in the corner. There are more days."
Edwin Rodriguez
"I feel great. I feel tired but happy. Ronnie (Shields) gave me a 10 tonight. Since I've been with Ronnie, we've been working on my defensive game and boxing. I'm showing another dimension. I don't think I have to go out there for three minutes every round throwing bombs. I still need to improve but, overall, I was pleased with my performance."