David Benavidez obliterates Anthony Yarde by seventh-round stoppage to retain light heavyweight titles

On Saturday, one of the biggest fight cards of the year took place, live and exclusive on DAZN  PPV with Ring IV: Night of Champions, that saw four world title fights. In the main event, WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez successfully defended his title against Britain's Anthony Yarde. 

After a little bit of a slow start, Benavidez turned it on with his electrifying fast hands to bloody and swell Yarde's face up, which resulted in dropping the Brit and stopping him at the 1:59 mark of the seventh round to retain the WBC and interim WBA light heavyweight titles. DAZN News had the fight scored 59-55 for Benavidez at the time of the stoppage.

Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) started slow, but in the third round, he uncorked a series of left hands that let Yarde know that trouble was brewing. And "The Monster" continued to unload those violent combinations until he completely broke Yarde and closed the show in the seventh round.

Below is what happened at The Ring IV: Night of the Champions.

Ring IV Headlines & Results

• David Benavidez def. Anthony Yarde by TKO at 1:59 of the seventh round to retain the WBC and interim WBA light heavyweight titles.
• Devin Haney def. Brian Norman Jr. by unanimous decision (117-110, 116-111, 114-113) to capture the WBO welterweight title
• Jesse Rodriguez def. Fernando Martinez by knockout at 1:25 of the tenth round to retain the WBC, WBO, and Ring Magazine and capture the WBA super flyweight titles
• Abdullah Mason def. Sam Noakes by unanimous decision (117-111, 115-113, 115-113) to win the vacant WBO lightweight title
• Vito Mielnicki Jr. def. Samuel Nmomah by ninth-round knockout
• Richard Riakporhe interviewed 
• Frank Warren is ringside
• WBO welterweight champion Brian Nornan Jr. in the building
• Eddie Hearn has made his way ringside
• Fernando Martinez is in the building
• Mohammad Alakel def. Jiaming Li by unanimous decision (60-53, 60-53, 60-53)
• Jesse Rodriguez arrives for title fight 
• Pius Mpenda and Julio Porras fight to a draw (57-57, 57-57, 57-57)
• Conor Benn has arrived for his duties on DAZN
• Sultan Almohammed def. Umesh Chavan by TKO at 2:05 of the first round
• Juan El Guerito de Tepito def. Barker Ssewaanyana by unanimous decision 
• Benavidez and Yarde ringwalks expected at 9:13 pm ET / 2:13 am GMT (Sunday)
• The first world title fight between Abdullah Mason and Sam Noakes for the vacant WBO lightweight title will begin at approximately 6:06 pm ET / 11:06 pm GMT