Max Kellerman’s latest praise of Edgar Berlanga has already drawn criticism from boxing observers, with some accusing the veteran broadcaster of acting like the “ultimate bullshit” to fighters aligned with Zuffa Boxing.
Speaking during a press conference about Zuffa’s recent signings, Kellerman made a lengthy defense of Berlanga’s career, describing the Puerto Rican challenger as a fighter who became a “victim of his own success” after a remarkable string of first-round knockouts.
The passion that built Berlanga
Kellerman pointed out that Berlanga began his professional career with sixteen straight first-round stoppages, a run that briefly captured the imagination of fans watching his career on televised undercards.
The broadcaster tried to put the streak into context, arguing that choosing partners carefully is standard practice in boxing.
“A lot of guys are easily fit to start their careers, in fact almost every professional boxer is built that way,” Kellerman explained.
“Well, why didn’t anyone else score 16 straight to start their careers, right? I can name you fighters, I won’t, but I can if you ask. Who scored 50 and 0 (Floyd Mayweather), 53 and 0 (Wanheng Menayothin), right? And you know why they got to that, right? But who scored 16 in a row in the first round?”
Kellerman also reflected on how the streak turned into a spectacle during Berlanga’s first appearances on ESPN.
“Watching it on ESPN, I was sometimes on the studio feed. It’s actually comical how he’s going to take another guy out in the first round.”
But critics say such comments reflect a growing trend around Zuffa broadcasts, in which contestants associated with the project are often introduced in glowing terms before their performances fully justify the praise.
Among some fans and media observers, the frustration can be bluntly summed up by the label “ultimate bullshit.”
Mikey Williams | Top position
Berlanga’s experience gap
Kellerman argued that the knockout streak created unrealistic expectations for Berlanga’s development.
Kellerman said: “He had almost no professional experience. Until his seventeenth fight, he had virtually no professional experience. How many rounds did he actually fight?”
Berlanga himself admitted to the shortcomings of this streak in an interview exclusively with World Boxing News.
“At first it was like that because when I knocked everyone out in the first round, I knocked out sixteen opponents in the first round, but I didn’t get good rounds to get that experience,” Berlanga told WBN.
“So when I started going the distance with these guys, people said I was a bum and I wasn’t good. But I needed those innings.”
This admission highlights the same development gap that Kellerman mentioned, but it also reflects what many in the sport noticed as Berlanga began to face better opponents.
Early knockouts built buzz and momentum, but the aura around the series faded as the selection tightened and the rounds began to pile up.
At this stage, many experts were already wondering how this approach would perform when the level of competition caught up.
Sheeraz knockout warning
For many observers, the knockout loss to Hamzah Sheeraz confirmed fears that had been growing long before the opening bell.
Berlanga’s pre-fight performance already suggested that the explosive momentum of his early career was becoming increasingly complex to replicate as the opposition improved.
In the match against Sheeraz, these doubts finally came to delicate in dramatic fashion.
Despite this context, Kellerman highlighted Berlanga’s durability, emphasizing that he was able to go the distance against Canelo Alvarez.
“And then he finally gets to Canelo Alvarez and goes the distance with Canelo,” Kellerman said.
“It’s very complex, especially for aggressive fighters. Canelo is one of the best counter-punters of all time.”
“Edgar went a huge distance with him and it shows something that you can’t show after a first-round knockout. It shows the level of character.”
Kellerman even floated the idea that the knockout artist who built Berlanga’s reputation could yet make a comeback.
“Now the question is: Is the search-and-destroy guy still out there who can get everyone out?”
Ring III / DAZN
The celebrated Zuffa pattern
Berlanga’s monologue is the latest noteworthy moment since Kellerman became closely associated with the Zuffa Boxing project.
Earlier broadcasts have already sparked discussion about the role his commentary now plays in the promotion’s presentation.
At one event, Kellerman suggested that Jai Opetaia may no longer be viewed as “undisputed,” even though the cruiserweight division still has multiple titleholders.
On another occasion, comparisons were made between emerging players and legends such as Roy Jones Jr. and Larry Holmes prompted Andre Ward to issue a piercing reminder during the exchange.
“You know they take your word for it, literally,” Ward said.
For a promotion that is still establishing itself in the sport, Kellerman’s framing style carries real weight.
Many fans and media say the momentum is now obvious. Kellerman has built a reputation as one of boxing’s sharpest independent analysts, so the change in tone did not go unnoticed.
Some believe it would be better if the former HBO voice returned to the more even-handed style that made him one of the most respected sports commentators.
Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, the result is the same – the fighters associated with the project often perform with such panache that, according to critics, they still have to be earned in the ring.
And this tension between promotion and analysis is why Kellerman’s commentary continues to polarize audiences.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
Conor Benn answered the biggest question surrounding his return to welterweight by weighing 146 pounds for Ryan Garcia, almost a full pound below the limit.
Benn left nothing to chance after months of questions over whether he could get back down to 147 pounds. But what happened after he stepped off the scales made the weight debate even more interesting.
DAZN reported Benn at 178.4 pounds after rehydrating, a staggering 32.4-pound difference from his official weight.
If accurate, the difference between Benn’s official and reported weights was more than 22 percent of his weigh-in body weight.
Benn Gains 32.4 Pounds
That’s where the real concern over Benn’s weight begins.
Coming in almost a full pound under the limit showed there was no appetite to take any chances by getting close to 147.
Questions had already been raised about what getting back down to welterweight would take.
Former opponent Regis Prograis previously said Benn “looks small” and hoped the weight was not “draining him already” after seeing his transformation ahead of the Garcia fight.
Those concerns were addressed when Benn stepped on the scales with room to spare. However, the DAZN figure showed the other side of making welterweight.
Zuffa Boxing received approval from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for an unusually early 9 a.m. PT official weigh-in, giving Benn and Garcia considerably more time to eat, drink, rehydrate and recover before fight night.
For Benn, DAZN’s reported second weight represented an extraordinary change from his official weigh-in figure.
Reaction was immediate. One commenter asked, “How is that possible to do after a couple of hours?” Another wanted someone to “explain how he gained 32 lbs in a few hours.”
Weight Cutting Dangers
Benn did nothing wrong. He made the contracted weight and did it comfortably.
The wider issue is what fighters continue to put their bodies through to make those limits.
The Association of Ringside Physicians has warned that rapid weight loss and dehydration can affect cardiovascular and neurological function, among other areas. The organization has also stated that proper rehydration can take hours or even days.
That warning puts Benn’s dramatic change into perspective. Fighters can make the required limit, begin replacing everything lost during the cut and enter the ring considerably heavier than they were on the official scales.
The early weigh-in gave Benn even more time to recover, but it does not change what his two reported weights say about the process required to compete at welterweight.
Benn did everything required of him and comfortably made the limit. The concern is how far fighters continue to push their bodies to get there in the first place.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.
WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) defends his title against Conor Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) this Saturday, September 12, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The match will headline a Mexican Independence weekend normally reserved for Mexican superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
For Conor, it’s his first fight at welterweight in more than four years. He last fought at welterweight against Chris Van Heerden in April of 2022. For Ryan, it’s his second welterweight bout after having defeated Mario Barrios in February of this year.
There was much back-and-forth about whether Benn would make the welterweight limit of 147 pounds, since he had fought Chris Eubank twice at 160 pounds and grown into the middleweight division. In his match in April against Regis Prograis, he trimmed down to 150 pounds, and based on his performance in that fight, many believed he would struggle to lose an additional three pounds for this one.
The official weigh-in took place this morning at the Meta Apex, and Conor Benn made weight, proving all the doubters wrong, weighing 146 pounds, while Ryan Garcia came in at 145.5 pounds.
Official Weigh-In Results:
12 Rounds — WBC Welterweight Championship Match: Ryan Garcia (145.5 lbs.) vs Conor Benn (146 lbs.)
12 Rounds — WBC/Zuffa/Ring Cruiserweight Championship Match: Jai Opetaia (199 lbs.) vs Noel Mikaelian (200 lbs.)
10 Rounds — Lightweight: Mark Magsayo (134.5 lbs.) vs Andres Cortes (135 lbs.)
6 Rounds — Lightweight: Oswaldo Molina (131.5 lbs.) vs Pablo Rubio (131 lbs.)
8 Rounds — Super Middleweight: Abel Gonzalez (167.5 lbs.) vs Raul Salomon (167 lbs.)
6 Rounds — Super Welterweight: Vlad Panin (151.5 lbs.) vs Dakota Linger (150.5 lbs.)
10 Rounds — Welterweight: Jose Ramirez (146.5 lbs.) vs Alexis Rocha (146.5 lbs.)
6 Rounds — Lightweight: Sean Garcia (134 lbs.) vs. Abraham Morales (134 lbs.)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 11: during the Garcia v Benn ceremonial weigh-ins at T-Mobile Paramount+ Plaza on September 11, 2026. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing)LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 11: during the Garcia v Benn ceremonial weigh-ins at T-Mobile Paramount+ Plaza on September 11, 2026. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing)LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 11: during the Garcia v Benn ceremonial weigh-ins at T-Mobile Paramount+ Plaza on September 11, 2026. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing)LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 11: during the Garcia v Benn ceremonial weigh-ins at T-Mobile Paramount+ Plaza on September 11, 2026. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing)LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 11: during the Garcia v Benn ceremonial weigh-ins at T-Mobile Paramount+ Plaza on September 11, 2026. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing)LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 11: during the Garcia v Benn ceremonial weigh-ins at T-Mobile Paramount+ Plaza on September 11, 2026. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing)LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 11: during the Garcia v Benn ceremonial weigh-ins at T-Mobile Paramount+ Plaza on September 11, 2026. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing)LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 11: Ryan Garcia poses on the scale at the official weigh-in at Meta Apex on September 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing/Zuffa Boxing via Getty Images)LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 11: Jai Opetaia poses on the scale at the official weigh-in at Meta Apex on September 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing/Zuffa Boxing via Getty Images)
Jai Opetaia may defeat WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian on Saturday night without being allowed to claim his title. What was presented as a unification fight could now proceed with only Opetaia’s Ring Magazine and Zuffa Boxing belts available.
“Don King reports that the WBC cruiserweight title will not be on the line in the Mikaelian vs. Opetaia fight this Saturday. Let’s wait for what the organization officially says,” Rodriguez on X.
Opetaia and Mikaelian are scheduled to meet in the co-feature of the Ryan Garcia–Conor Benn card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Removing the WBC title would take much of the historical value from the matchup. Opetaia can establish himself as the better fighter and beat the reigning WBC champion, yet leave the arena no closer to becoming undisputed. That is a poor result for a cruiserweight division already divided among several champions.
The WBC had ordered Mikaelian to face WBA and WBO champion David Benavidez. Mikaelian instead accepted the Opetaia fight after a deal with Benavidez was not completed, placing his title status in danger.
King has also sent a cease-and-desist letter to Zuffa Boxing and TKO Group Holdings. His promotional company claims it holds an exclusive agreement with Mikaelian and did not authorize the Opetaia fight. Hehas already lost the IBF title without being defeated in the ring after the organization refused to sanction his fight with Brandon Glanton. The Australian may now be denied an opportunity to win the WBC belt for similar reasons involving sanctioning rules and promotional control.
Nothing changes about the difficulty of Saturday’s fight. Mikaelian remains a capable, experienced cruiserweight who defeated Badou Jack in their December rematch. The difference is that Opetaia may receive considerably less for beating him.
Until the WBC releases an official ruling, Mikaelian remains its cruiserweight champion. If King’s information is accurate, however, the fight has gone from a meaningful unification to another example of boxing preventing its leading cruiserweights from settling the division inside the ring.
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Last Updated on 2026/09/12 at 4:11 AM
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