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This afternoon from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg meet in a long-awaited super bantamweight title unification bout, airing live on Sky Box Office in the United Kingdom, with the card starting at 1:00 pm EST, and the main event airing alone in the United States on Showtime Extreme at 5:30 pm EST.
Frampton (21-0, 14 KO) will defend his IBF 122-pound title against the WBA belt held by Quigg (31-0-2, 23 KO), in a fight that has been discussed for a few years now, always seemingly just out of reach. But we're here now, and there's a good amount of buzz around the fight, especially in the UK, of course, but also among diehard American fans.
BLH will have live round-by-round coverage for the main event.
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RESULTS
Carl Frampton def. Scott Quigg by split decision (113-115, 116-112, 116-112)
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ROUND BY ROUND
CARL FRAMPTON vs SCOTT QUIGG
Round 1: Crowd is relentlessly loud as the fight starts. Singing, chanting, stomping, clapping. Cagey start, as expected. First minute sees Frampton shooting a few jabs, nothing getting in. Frampton the aggressor, for what it's worth. Not that it's really aggressive. Second minute is more of the same. Lots of feints on both sides. Quigg shoots a right hand, it's short. Frampton moves forward after that, nothing lands. Nobody lands a punch that matters. 10-10
Round 2: First half of this round is pretty much the same as the last round, maybe Frampton doing just a bit more. Quigg tries to come back on a counter opportunity but Frampton makes him miss. Frampton's jab poking in there, maybe? Trying to find something to say here. Quigg misses another big right hand. A bit more life late in the round, but still no punches really landing. Frampton 10-9, 20-19
Round 3: "We're seeing a fencing match at the moment," Jim Watt says. That's a nice way of saying it. The difference right now is Frampton looks comfortable, Quigg looks wound up. Frampton is poking with his left hand. When Quigg does throw, he's lunging with power shots that Frampton is escaping pretty easily. Is this a fight where we have TWO guys who lost it on the scales? My heavens. Quigg did land a left in this round, so that's something. Frampton 10-9, 30-28
Round 4: Quigg struggling horribly with range. Frampton starting to move forward with confidence a minute into this round. Not landing, really, but at least it LOOKS LIKE something. Quigg misses a hook and a right after it. Quigg misses another hook. Frampton cleanly lands a jab. Quigg is still just finding nothing. HEY! There's a right hand from Quigg, but Frampton moves and the rally ends as soon as it started. Quigg landed the best punch of the round, maybe, but Frampton still controlled it, for what it's worth. Frampton 10-9, 40-37
Round 5: Some power shots coming now. Frampton lands a hook, Quigg right back with a right hand. And then they reset to the feints again. Frampton shoots a lead right, blocked. Frampton does a bit more yet again. And that "bit more" isn't much at all. Quigg is absolutely crapping the bed here. Frampton 10-9, 50-46
Round 6: The few moments where Quigg looks like he’s done something you immediately realize it’s just Frampton easily avoiding his punch again. This fight is an unreal disappointment so far. Frampton picking up the pace a little, which makes the pace comatose instead of dead. Frampton 10-9, 60-55
Round 7: Frampton landing more still. Quigg WAKES UP in this round, finally. Frampton jabbing again, though. Quigg now looking to referee for some aid during Frampton's clinches. Which is fair, it is technically illegal to hold. Frampton gauges that Quigg's aggression is increasing, and he's upping his own output. Both guys land shots. 30 seconds to go in the round. Quigg gets Frampton to the ropes, misses. Easily the best round of the fight and you'd hardly say it was exceptional. Frampton 10-9, 70-64
Round 8: Quigg lands a shot, then has Frampton oddly off balance and throws an up from under left that gets in, too. Quigg with a little right to the body. Scott Quigg finally really working this round. Carl Frampton with a little counter shot. Quigg actually showing a jab, at least showing it, and that's helping him not let Frampton dictate the entire fight. Quigg nicks the round for me. Quigg 10-9, Frampton 79-74
Round 9: Quigg has definitely picked up the pace. He's digging to the body, or at least trying to dig to the body. Quigg with a right hand, and he's got an opening, but Frampton takes it well. The bit of action is all in bursts. Quigg with a combination! Wow, what a fight this is now! Quigg with another round. Quigg 10-9, Frampton 88-84
Round 10: Quigg STORMS out of the corner with a right hand, but misses badly. Quigg is putting on the pressure. Frampton has to respond, and now we've got some actual drama for a moment. Quigg really battering the body now. Frampton ducking down in the pocket, and we've got a fight! FINALLY! Quigg is really laying in the body shots. Frampton standing his ground, but not sure he really wants to, he just has to right now. But Frampton is landing a good amount of shots, too. I think Quigg is landing the harder blows, but Frampton has an argument in this round. Quigg 10-9, Frampton 97-94
Round 11: Quigg with another good combo to start the round. Frampton digging to the body a bit now, too. Quigg throwing with him. Both guys throwing punches in the pocket. Frampton lands a good shot upstairs, Quigg back to the body, Frampton to the body. left hook upstairs from Quigg! Body work from Quigg. Frampton with some of his own, but Quigg is just bulling forward. Frampton looks over to his corner. He might be gassing out. This is a war of attrition now, and Quigg looks much fresher. Quigg hurts Frampton a bit, and Frampton just not responding well now. This is a hell of a weird fight. Quigg 10-9, Frampton 106-104
Round 12: Frampton coming out fast in the 12th, hoping to stem the tide and leave it in the ring. He looked a little spent in the 11th, but this is the final three minutes. Quigg being neutralized in the first half of this round. Frampton just staying busy and moving around. Quigg misses a wild right. Frampton takes this round and that should solidify the win for him. Frampton 10-9, 116-113