Benavidez vs Gavril: Live streaming results and round by round coverage

Tonight at 10:05 pm ET, Showtime has a special Friday night triple-header from Las Vegas, capped off with a main event for the vacant WBC super middleweight title.

David Benavidez (18-0, 17 KO) takes on Ronald Gavril (18-1, 14 KO) in that main event, a fight that was originally supposed to pit Callum Smith against Anthony Dirrell, then Dirrell against Benavidez, and finally, we got this.

Benavidez is one of the more exciting young fighters in the sport, a 20-year-old slugger who brings the action. Gavril has won seven straight following a 2015 loss to veteran Elvin Ayala.

On the undercard, J’Leon Love (23-1, 13 KO) takes on Abie Han (26-3, 16 KO), and Caleb Plant (15-0, 10 KO) meets Andrew Hernandez (19-6-1, 9 KO) in a pair of 10-round bouts, also in the super middleweight division.

BLH will be here with live coverage for all three fights this evening. Join us!

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Results

• David Benavidez def. Ronald Gavril by split decision (116-111, 111-116, 117-111)
• J’Leon Love and Abie Han fought to a technical majority draw (79-73 Love, 76-76, 76-76)
• Caleb Plant def. Andrew Hernandez by unanimous decision (100-90, 100-90, 100-90)

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Round By Round

David Benavidez vs Ronald Gavril

Round 1: Here we go! Kind of a feeling out opening round between the two power punchers, not a lot going on, but both legitimately feeling it out, taking little shots, seeing what the other man has. Benavidez moves around nicely. Both guys jabbing a lot. Benavidez 10-9

Round 2: Benavidez with some counter lefts and a combination up top. Gavril back and throwing, but he’s playing with fire in the pocket right now. Good round here, Gavril hanging in but takes a deep breath late in the round. I feel like Benavidez looks way more comfortable and in control. He’s not fighting dumb, and he respects Gavril as someone who can hurt him. Benavidez 10-9, 20-18

Round 3: Gavril having some nice moments in this round, doing some good work inside. Benavidez unloads with power shots late in the round, trying to press and do some damage, but I like what Gavril is doing here. Wide rights from Benavidez doing some damage, and he’s looking at the body. Benavidez trying to steal this round late, but I still like the overall work of Gavril, even if he might have gotten hurt with a body shot late. Benavidez 10-9, 30-27

Round 4: Gavril targeting the body, and he’s landing some good shots. Benavidez starting to really close in on him now and landing some HARD shots. Gavril is feeling these shots now. He’s holding. Nice Benavidez round. Some punishing work. But Gavril ended the round nicely, too. This is a fight. Benavidez 10-9, 40-36

Round 5: Another pretty fun round in what has been a pretty fun fight. Not exceptional, but Gavril is here and doing a solid job overall, and Benavidez isn’t bowling right through him like some expected. Benavidez could even perhaps stand to get a bit more aggressive. Benavidez 10-9, 50-45

Round 6: Gavril continues trying to do work to the body, which isn’t a bad idea and isn’t ineffective, but not sure it’s really adding up as much as he hopes. Gavril aggressive and doing work this round, Benavidez laying back some in the first half. Benavidez’s father wanted him to up the pressure this round, but he’s not. Benavidez playing around now, with his hands low and switching stances at a safe distance. Gavril with a combination with Benavidez against the ropes. Gavril having a really nice round with Benavidez maybe taking one off a little bit. Uppercut from Benavidez late in the round does catch Gavril, and he ties up. Gavril 10-9, Benavidez 59-55

Round 7: Gavril more active again in the first half of this round. Benavidez going to the body a little. There’s the hook to the body. Jab to the body. Gavril to the body, Benavidez missing his uppercut. Gavril has stood up well to Benavidez and is pushing him harder than anyone has before. Gavril 10-9, Benavidez 68-65

Round 8: Gavril is really giving Benavidez a fight here. I’ve enjoyed this one. Gavril has shown a good bit and exposed some of Benavidez’s inexperience and overconfidence, I think. Gavril fighting well defensively, though Benavidez lands the odd good shot. Gavril firing back after Benavidez lands a good right. Gavril to the body again. Gavril 10-9, Benavidez 77-75

Round 9: Boy, I really think Gavril has all the momentum in this fight now. He’s beating Benavidez to the punch and giving him some lessons in there. Benavidez active but not landing much of consequence. Gavril 10-9, Benavidez 86-85

Round 10: Gavril still controlling a lot of the tempo here. Benavidez with some work to the body, good hook upstairs from Gavril. Benavidez trying to brawl late in the round, and he’s showing some real fun recklessness in the process. Gavril moving around and throwing back some to close the round. Gavril did get hurt there, I believe, but he stood up to it. Fun fight and has been close. Gavril 10-9, 95-95

Round 11: And I realized I was scoring a round off for the entire fight just before this round. Good I caught it now, I suppose. Man, I really haven’t gotten into Benavidez’s arm punches as this fight has worn on — really like what Gavril has done to take it into these DEEP WATERS. Benavidez doing a good job this round, though, and hurts Gavril late again, not a ton, but enough, and this was a big, momentum-shifting round for Benavidez, that I think he needed. Benavidez 10-9, 105-104

Round 12: Benavidez really closing strong. He’s tired and fighting his ass off, and I think we’re seeing a lot of good stuff out of him, especially for a 20-year-old fighter. Gavril has fought a hell of a fight, and Benavidez might be taking it when it counts most. LEFT HOOK FROM GAVRIL AND BENAVIDEZ GOES DOWN! OH MY! Benavidez is up but there’s 40 seconds left! That could be a game changer, but I get the feeling I have this closer than the judges. Both throwing until the final bell, real good fight tonight! For me, it came down to the knockdown. I am fully expecting Benavidez to get the win and I won’t really argue about it, but I thought we saw some great ebb and flow over these 12 rounds, and a hell of a performance by both, in different ways. Gavril 10-8, 114-113

J’Leon Love vs Abie Han

Round 1: Haven’t seen Love in a while, and was never super impressed with him when he was a hyped prospect, but interested to see what he’s got right now against a decent but beatable opponent. Love coming out stalking, moving forward. Han throwing some shots, Love standing his ground. Han switches his stance here and there. Love looked aggressive in stance but didn’t do much of anything with it. Han 10-9

Round 2: Love doing a bit more, but gets caught with a couple rights, too. Good counter left from Han catches Love coming in. Right hand from Han. Love is getting clipped a lot in this fight. Han 10-9, 20-18

Round 3: Love is just not that good, is his biggest problem. I think, like they said earlier, he thinks too much and thinks himself out of good situations, and gets caught as a result. Han is dictating much of this fight and doing a good job in his role. He’s working harder and making more count. Han 10-9, 30-27

Round 4: Love corners Han, misses with three punches and Han slips out. Love moving around more this round. It’s helping him avoid unnecessary shots, at any rate, making Han miss more. I like this love better than stationary staring Love, to say the least. Love 10-9, Han 39-37

Round 5: Love goes to the body and gets hit with a hook at the same time. Right to the body from Han. Love making Han fight outside his comfort a bit more now, and that’s probably the best thing he can do at the minute, make Han waste some energy. But really neither guy is doing a whole lot effectively with Love moving around some more. Love 10-9, Han 48-47

Round 6: This isn’t a bad fight. Not a good fight. Just a fight, really. I’m still not impressed by Love, I just don’t see much in him. Han nicks this one for me. Han 10-9, 58-56

Round 7: Love walking Han down again this round, and at least throwing here and there. Han keeping him at range, mostly because Love’s aggression is just the impression of aggression. Love walks right into another counter left, and then does it again, and then a right from Han. Han 10-9, 68-65

Round 8: Heads collide and Han is cut badly and flopping around like a fish, not in a “fake” way. He’s hurt. He got drilled there. The fight might end here. Ugly cut and Han is knocked loopy. Blood just pouring from that cut. Yeah, we’re going to the cards. It was a delayed reaction but he was definitely hurt there. Love’s cut, too, but he didn’t get the worst of it. Oh wait this round IS scored. Well. I can’t call it. 10-10, Han 78-75

Caleb Plant vs Andrew Hernandez

Round 1: Either someone just blew a horn to signal a Night’s Watch ranger returning or someone moved a chair really loudly. Plant with a little left hook early, Hernandez gets his hand up to try to stop that after. Plant with a right to the body. Hernandez took the fight on one week’s notice so body could be more vulnerable than normal. Hernandez poking his jab out. Plant with three-punch combo, gets one in. Couple of quick jabs from Plant. Plant 10-9

Round 2: Plant opening up his offense some more, Hernandez tries to find some openings with that, which is admirable. He’s here to fight, at least. Plant finding room for his left hook late in the round. Hernandez breathing a bit hard at the end of the round. Plant 10-9, 20-18

Round 3: Plant really putting punches together in the first half of this round, landing to the body and head, scoring consistently. The combinations are giving Hernandez a lot of problems now and he’s getting rocked around somewhat. Hard left hook with about 25 seconds left in the round. Plant owning the ring right now. Plant 10-9, 30-27

Round 4: Hernandez’s left eye not looking great, and it’s not going to get better. It’s bleeding a little after a couple more Plant shots. Hernandez trying to throw, nothing really getting there. Another pretty one-sided round for Plant. This is a matter of time, really. Plant 10-9, 40-36

Round 5: Plant slows it down just a bit in this round, Hernandez has his “best” round? Maybe? But he’s still not winning the round, and I can’t give it to him. It’s a game effort from him but it’s clear he’s fighting heavy, on short notice, against someone who would beat him handily, anyway. Plant 10-9, 50-45

Round 6: After conserving some energy last round, Plant comes out looking to land big shots early in the sixth. He’s not pressing, but he’s looking to do damage, and he’s doing it. Hernandez clearly tired at this point, which, again, is understandable. He’s doing his best. Plant 10-9, 60-54

Round 7: There’s only so much you can really take from this performance by Plant, but he’s looked sharp. Give Hernandez the credit he deserves, though, he’s standing in there, taking shots from Plant, trying to give some back, and he lands a shot here and there. It’s mostly, I think, due to Plant having no fear of what comes back, but still. Plant with another round. Plant 10-9, 70-63

Round 8: Hernandez having a decent round here, using his jab, getting close and landing to the body, but then Plant finds him with a hard right hand and he’s going for the finish for a second, with Hernandez surviving that charge. But Hernandez got hurt there. Somewhere, a rotary phone rings. Plant 10-9, 80-72

Round 9: Doctor taking a look at Hernandez at 52 seconds into the round. He says he can see, the fight continues. “As long as you’re doing something,” referee Russell Mora tells him. Plant showboats a bit, Hernandez mocks him repeatedly, but Plant is still winning the round. Body shots from Plant push Hernandez back. Plant 10-9, 90-81

Round 10: Doctor and referee gave Hernandez a long look between rounds, trying to make sure he’s not taking any needless risks by staying in this fight. He is, really, but it is what it is. The fight ends as it has been, basically. Plant 10-9, 100-90