Canelo Alvarez makes history with 11th-round knockout of IBF champion Caleb Plant

Viva La Mexico!

Canelo Alvarez -- the WBA, WBO and WBC super middleweight champion -- beat IBF titleholder Caleb Plant via 11th-round knockout Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

With the victory, Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) became the first Mexican-born fighter to become an undisputed champion. He also became the first boxer to unify all four recognized titles at 168 pounds.

Plant (21-1, 12 KOs) was also knocked down twice in the 11th round before succumbing to the KO.

"This is for everybody, especially from Mexico," Alvarez said. "It's another one for our team but we did it tonight."

"It signifies so much for the history of Mexico to be an undisputed champion."

Alvarez became the sixth fighter to reach the undisputed plateau during the four-belt era, joining welterweights Terance Crawford and Josh Taylor, middleweights Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor and cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk.

"We're only six," Alvarez said. "It keeps me happy, very motivated to be one of the six undisputed champions of the world."

Alvarez recorded his first knockdown of Plant in the 11th round with a left hand-right hand-left hand sequence. Alvarez completed the second knockdown with a flurry of hard right-handed punches.

"That's the way it had to finish," Alvarez said. "He was already very hurt, and I went for the kill."

"My respect for Caleb Plant. He's a very difficult fighter. He has a lot of ability. I do respect the fighter."

"We're men at the end," Alvarez added. "He still wanted to fight me, wanted to still continue. And I told him, there's no shame. We had a great fight today. Of course we came out on top."

"Thanks, everybody. My friends, Mexico."

Asked if he wanted to conquer another weight class, Alvarez said he wasn't sure.

"We don't know. We want the rest we deserve."