Bek Nurmaganbet delivered an early contender for knockout of the year on Saturday, flattening Marcos Vazquez in the first round of their Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli undercard fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Kazakh super middleweight needed less than a round to knock down Vazquez twice (21-4-1, 10 KOs) – first with a blistering left hand on a two-punch combination, then again shortly after Vazquez beat the count by 10. The final sequence was a thing of beauty and brutality, as Nurmaganbet (17-0, 15 KOs) sent Vazquez slamming back on the canvas with another monster who left a two-piece combination against the ropes.
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This time, no count of 10 was necessary.
The performance immediately propels Nurmaganbet into the conversation for the best boxing knockouts of 2026, providing a spectacular highlight before Saturday’s biggest fights even begin.
Nurmaganbet entered this weekend’s contest as an undefeated prospect to watch, with 14 of his previous 16 professional victories coming via knockout. With the thunderous message he delivered against Vazquez, the 28-year-old continues to quickly build a reputation as one of the most dangerous up-and-coming punchers in the super middleweight division.
Nurmaganbet’s previous outing came in July, when he stopped Artysh Lopsan in the fifth round.
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In the main event of Saturday’s controversial event at the Kingdom Arena, former two-time undisputed champion “Canelo” looks to win back the WBC super middleweight championship from undefeated titleholder Mbilli. In doing so, Alvarez returns to the ring for the first time since his September 2025 loss to Terence Crawford, while Mbilli enters the main event looking to score the biggest victory of his career.
The map is under scrutiny for its retention in Riyadh as the region continues to face heavy missile and drone strikes in recent weeks.
For complete coverage of Canelo vs. Mbilli, including live results, play-by-play and highlights from Saturday’s entire main card, check out Uncrown’s fight night hub.
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