MGM Grand, Las Vegas - Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) became the WBO light heavyweight champion with a crushing eleventh round knockout of Sergey Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KOs).

It was a tactically contest for most of the fight, with Kovalev working his jab and doing very well to keep Canelo at bay.

Canelo began to pick up steam in the ninth and tenth rounds, by letting loose with his power punches that were tagging up the bigger man.

During the eleventh round, Canelo connected with a power punch combination to the head that sent Kovalev down and out against the ropes. The fight was quickly waved off by the referee.

Canelo, who last fought at 160-pounds when he defeated Daniel Jacobs back in May, moved up by two weight divisions to take this fight at 175-pounds.