Dalton Smith vs. Alberto Puello Live Updates, Highlights and Results

It was a tense aftermath until ring announcer David Diamante finally got through all the scores, certifying Smith's split decision to retain his WBC belt in his first defense.

Two judges gave Smith 7-5 and 115-113 edges, while the dissenter saw it 8-4 and 116-112 for Puello.

Smith improves to 20-0 and won his sixth decision, while Puello lost for the second time in 27 bouts, both in WBC title bouts—once by majority decision and this one by split.

"A champion has to do what he has to do," Smith said. "I'm proving that I'm No. 1 right now."

The rounds he won were by very narrow margins and stacking up enough close ones seemed to give Smith a safe scorecard superiority, if not a clear competitive one.

B/R called it for the champion, 116-112 on points and 8-4 in rounds, with recognition that it could be far closer or even the other way in the eyes of the judges.

But to us… it's #AndStill.

A loud lecture from his father in his corner seemed to elevate Smith, who returned to fighting on the front foot and looked visually in control even without landing fight-changing punches. When he initiates, he succeeds. When he waits, he gets sharpshot.

"Not bundles and bundles (of action)," analyst Barry Jones said, "but you know at any minute it could be curtains."

Smith landed a nice right to the body early in the eighth while applying pressure, but then settled back into watching more than creating, though Puello is hardly doing an Arturo Gatti impression with his output himself—allowing Smith's single shots to have more impact.

Smith jabbed to start an exchange and landed a right early in the ninth, then got his hands up quickly to block off Puello's paths at countering.

Every round is close, but because Smith is landing the harder shots—and, let's face it, he's the promotional A-side and is fighting at home—and leads 6-3 and 87-84 on B/R's card.

A right rattled Puello about 45 seconds into the fourth and Smith began landing more consistently—if not devastatingly—as the round continued and he looked more confident.

The more the champion took the initiative, the better he looked. Puello seemed to move backward every time Smith landed a shot cleanly or on the gloves or torso.

Puello stood his ground and moved his hands well in the first half of the fifth in a nice bounce-back sequence, but Smith gradually got closer as that round continued.

Smith reverted to his less-active persona to start the sixth and Puello's confidence seemed to swell, enough to even things up on the B/R card—3-3 and 57-57—through six.

Puello, a sharp southpaw, is tall and thin with long arms and he was able to use that length to keep fists in Smith's face to dissuade the champion from distance in the first.

Puello's cleverness seemed to have Smith tentative as the second began, enabling the challenger to continue to land his shots from outside. Smith's first noticeable right hand landed about midway through the second but there was no immediate follow-up.

He did step in and land again late in the second, showing more initiative than he had.

Puello was back on the southpaw jab to start the third and retook the momentum from Smith until the champion landed a counter right hand to the head in the second minute, then came with a hard right to the body after two full minutes.

The more comfortable Smith looks, the better things go for him, and B/R has him up, narrowly, by 2-1 and 29-28 counts through three rounds.

"Sweet Caroline" was playing in Sheffield, which means it's main event time.

Puello is first into the ring and will try to regain the WBC belt from the man (Smith) who beat the man (Matias) who took it from him. Smith is easily the favorite of his hometown crowd, following in the footsteps of the first Sheffield champion, Hall of Famer Naseem Hamed.

Smith emerged from the locker room to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck."

It's 12 up and 12 down for Visioli, who retained his British lightweight belt at age 23 and earned a majority decision with two cards that matched the B/R totals.

Visioli earned a pair of 96-94 nods to offset a 95-95 dissenting card.

It's the 10th loss in the 16-year career for Hughes, who won the lightly regarded IBO title at 135 pounds in 2021 and defended twice before he lost it in 2023.

Visioli's right jab was again the most significant punch in the 10th round, allowing the younger man to initiate flurries and provide what should be scorecard insurance.

B/R's card gave him the final round, and he ends with 6-4 and 96-94 advantages.

Hughes looked more determined at the start of the seventh than he had in some previous rounds, but he found it hard to sustain the momentum thanks to Visioli's consistent right jab and superior athleticism— which was visually noticeable.

Hughes landed a right-left combination when he stepped in to begin the eighth and he landed another long left when he continued to come forward in the round. Visioli was nicked above the left eye as Hughes surged and Visioli looked uncomfortable.

The ninth was the 70th round of Visioli's career and he began it with purpose, again coming forward behind a right jab that stalled Hughes' growing momentum. Hughes was rendered mostly inactive again after his busiest and most effective stretch in rounds seven and eight.

It's clearly closer to B/R than it is to the broadcast team, and we have Visioli up narrowly, 5-4 and 86-85, heading to the final three minutes.

Visioli kept working the jab and seemed more determined to initiate exchanges on the front foot as the fourth began, though Hughes rattled him with another clean counter left about two minutes in. Another left-right from Hughes in the final seconds provided the most noticeable shots of the round.

The veteran was surely effective in spots but was outworked in the fifth by his younger, faster, and seemingly more earnest opponent.

Visioli connected with a sharp counter left on the inside early in the sixth, stepping back, prompting Hughes to commit to coming forward, then drilling him with the punch.

It's hardly a blowout, but B/R's scorecard has Visioli up 4-2 and 58-56 through six.

It was a cagey, tactical first round between the two lefties, with neither man landing a shot of genuine significance before Hughes connected with a jolting counter left in the final 15 seconds that Visioli took without incident.

Visioli spent the second round working behind a probing right jab that allowed him to establish distance and begin using his feet and superior hand speed. Visioli stepped in with the fight's first noticeable combination early in the third and was starting to measure the distance well enough to land more frequently on Hughes, often to the body.

It's 29-28 on points and 2-1 in rounds for Visioli on the B/R scorecard through three.

Two early finishes means a bit of broadcast team chatter before the next fight, which will pit the 23-year-old Visioli, unbeaten in 11 fights with six KOs, against countryman Hughes, 36, who's 29-9 with six KOs.

Visioli last fought in March, when he won a 10-round decision over Levi Giles.

Hughes has lost two in a row and four of seven since the start of 2023, including stoppage losses to William Zepeda (TKO 4 in March 2024) and Pierce O'Leary (TKO 5 in March 2026).

Vergara found himself in a teenage wasteland at the fists of the 19-year-old Atang, who racked up his eighth KO at the end of the first round.

The official time was 3:00.

Vergara rose from the third knockdown moments after the bell rang but was waved off by referee Jamie Kirkpatrick.

"I'm happy with it," Atang said. "I was hoping I'd get another round but you can't complain about a first-rounder."

Promoter Eddie Hearn beamed at his client's performance.

"How can you not (be excited)?" he said. "He's 19 years of age. He's had nine fights in 15 months. This is the ultimate opportunity for this young man to become the world heavyweight champion."

Two fights. Two first-round finishes.

Atang dumped his overmatched journeyman opponent with a right hand just 40 seconds in, dropped him with another shot that may have strayed behind Vergara's head with 30 seconds remaining, then finished it with yet another right in the final moments.

He's 9-0 as a pro with eight KOs, including six in less than a round.

Fight No. 2 was added late to the card and will follow the quick finish in the opening bout with a good chance for another.

It'll be a six-rounder at heavyweight between unbeaten 19-year-old Leo Atang (8-0, 7 KO) and 29-year-old Argentine Jonathan Vergara (9-4, 5 KO).

Atang has stopped five opponents in one round, one in two rounds, and one in three.

His other fight went to a six-round decision in April.

Vergara has been stopped twice in his four losses, in four rounds in 2023 and two rounds in 2024.

The official time was 46 seconds of Round 1, with Ryan avenging her decision loss from their first fight in 2024 and Dolan losing early for the second time in three fights.

Dolan was stopped in three rounds in a challenge for the IBF super flyweight title in April.

Ryan also wrested away Dolan's British super flyweight title belt.

"Two-and-a-half years that's been," Ryan said. "I feel so free and at peace now"

Promoter Eddie Hearn agreed.

"Since the defeat to Emma Dolan," he said, "she's just become a new fighter."

If you're going to avenge a loss, do it the way Ryan did.

She came out winging hard shots and blasted her upright opponent with her first blows, dropping Ryan 20 seconds in and registering a second knockdown inside 20 more seconds.

Dolan rose but was waved off by referee Howard Foster as a towel came in from her corner.

A rematch between British rivals will kick of the main card in the form of a 10-rounder at super flyweight between Shannon Ryan (11-1, 2 KO) and Emma Dolan (9-1, 1 KO).

Dolan beat Ryan by split decision in June 2024 in Birmingham, taking two cards by 96-94 and 96-93 scores while Ryan got the other with a 95-94 tally.

Dolan won her lone previous fight in Sheffield in October 2023. This is Ryan's first fight in Sheffield.