Charlo had moved up two weight divisions to face the challenge of Canelo, and the weight difference was evident as the American struggled to make any impact on his opponent. Many of the rounds played out similarly, with Canelo taking the role of the aggressor. In the seventh round, Canelo's combination of a hook followed by an uppercut resulted in a knockdown, forcing Charlo to take a knee.
While Charlo managed to avoid being knocked out, it was clear that the final outcome was in Canelo's favor when the judges' scores were announced: 119-108, 118-109, and 118-109 all in favor of Canelo.
After the fight, the 33-year-old boxer commented:
"I worked all the fight to go in the body. Then I changed the punch and that's what happened. We worked for that.
"We know he's a great fighter. He knows how to move in the ring and we worked that in the gym for three months. Three months in the mountains without my family, without everything.
"But I still love boxing. Boxing made me the person I am today. Boxing is my life."