Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach: Live round-by-round updates

MMA Fighting has Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach live round-by-round updates for Saturday’s main event matchup at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The main event is expected to begin around 11 p.m. ET on Amazon and PPV.com pay-per-view. Check out our Tank vs. Roach results page to find out what happened on the undercard.

Tank Davis (30-0) has not fought since June, when he knocked out Frank Martin in his lightweight title defense in Las Vegas. That was Davis’s first defense as the undisputed WBA lightweight champion, having been elevated to the primary champion spot when Devin Haney vacated his title to move up a weight class.

Lamont Roach (25-1-1) is the current WBA super featherweight champion and most recently stopped Feargal McCrory in his title defense back in June.

Get the Tank vs. Roach round-by-round updates below:

Walkouts: Roach out in almost a paisley robe? Can’t quite describe it. Tank is out with an entourage and someone rapping for him. He’s in a black camo jacket and Yankees cap.

Roach is in green leafy shorts(?) with white gloves. Tank is in green camo shorts with green camo gloves.

Round 1: Roach out in orthodox with Tank is southpaw. Tank usually takes a slow start to get reads and that’s true here as well. Neither man doing much. A lot of feints and some tentative jabs. Just getting the lay of the land. Roach lands a jab to the body. Tank has thrown almost nothing. Hard for Davis to get reads if Roach doesn’t throw anything either. Tank goes high low but both are caught. Roach is really being patient. Maybe 4 punches total were landed that round.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Roach.

Round 2: Roach wins the first round by virtue of Tank doing almost literally nothing. Could take some time to get this one rolling. Feints from Roach to start. Tank still waiting. Roach happy to stare at him and lightly walk forward. Roach gets Tank to the corner but doesn’t open up. He’s moving Tank around and happy with that so far. Tank to the body. Roach comes in with a right hand and Tank just misses the counter. Tank tries to lead but Roach blocks. Tank tries again to go high to low. Still not much happening. Clinch happens on a missed punch and they break. Then another clinch and Roach moves Tank around. Neither man landed anything good in that round either.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Davis, 19-19 overall.

Round 3: I’d be more than comfortable scoring this 20-20 overall. Neither man is doing anything. Perhaps this will be the round that changes.

Roach feints his way in and lands a right hand. Tank is losing very confident now thought he’s not opening up still. Seems to feel good and he lands nicely to the body. High low again. Roach moving Tank around the ring and to the corner but can’t make it count. Tank is backing up but he’s got the better feet. And he lands to the body. And again to the body. Tank starting to fire. Roach gives him back and Tank lands another one. Roach staying inside himself and fires a few rights into the gloves. Roach gets inside and lands a hook to the body. Nice chopping right hand from Roach to the top. Davis comes back with a left then puts a few into the gloves.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Davis, 29-28 Davis overall.

Round 4: Roach moving Davis back again. Tank is happy to cede ground and then cut an angle. Lead left for Roach lands behind a double jab. Davis lands a left up top as he opens up. Then sticks a pair to the body when he gets inside. Roach’s high guard means he’s vulnerable to the body and Tank is attacking it. Lovely left from Tank as he walks Roach onto it. The problem for Roach is he isn’t punching. His offense is as low as Tank, but Tank has the kill switch in there. And he backs Tank to the corner again but can’t hit him. And Tank hits the body.

Oh, Roach lands cleanly when Davis was saying something to the referee, perhaps about being pushed down? Doesn’t matter though, he still won the round with his body work.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Davis, 39-37 Davis overall.

Round 5: Roach is fighting a good fight if his goal is to make it to a decision, but he’s not setting himself apart. Scores could be anywhere. He needs to get some real offense rolling, because this is when Tank usually starts cooking.

But he’s not to start. Low volume and Tank’s defense is too good. Both men have landed under 25 punches, per the stats. Add a few more to Tank though as he digs the body. And again. And again. And again. He’s pushing his way inside and ripping. Roach with a nice uppercut to make him stop. Tank doesn’t care and now he’s talking. And then Tank cracks him and now Roach is talking! And a clinch and Tank throws a shoulder bump. The referee gets involved but both men jawing at each other in there. Tank might be in his head?

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Davis, 49-46 Davis overall.

Round 6: Roach comes out with some pep in his step. He’s talking and fires a quick body shot. So Tank goes with a combo of his own to the body. Roach standing in front of Tank now and that seems like a bad idea. Roach is outside himself no and he sits down on his right hand. He’s running headlong in and has abandoned his jabs. He might want to settle down because he just ate a counter left hand. High low from Tank again. Counter left. Body work from Tank. He’s winning the footwork. And Tank is firing shots now as Roach comes at him. He’s bouncing around Roach now. But Roach keeps coming in. He wants to bull his way through this but instead eats a pair of sharp lefts. Roach lands a left hook on the break but Tank now strutting a bit.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Davis, 59-55 Davis overall.

Round 7: Roach is undeterred. He comes out and puts a few power shots into his gloves. Tank is cleaner in space though. Roach landing some this round though. He’s opening up his volume and lands to the body. Roach genuinely is confident in standing in front of Tank. He’s a brave man and lands his own pair of hooks. He will not back down and he’s starting to have success. Trading one for one here and Tank might have to start respecting him. Roach also doing a good job of catching punches coming at him. Tank lands a left but Roach gets his own. Tank chops to the body and Roach meets him with his own. Roach ain’t giving an inch and it won him the round.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Roach, 68-65 Davis overall.

Round 8: That was a big round for Roach. He established himself for real in there. But Tank is still Tank. That works until it doesn’t against Tank. But Roach comes out with the jab and then works the body in the clinch. And he’s talking in there. Roach ain’t a bit afraid. Tank slipped beautifully. He still has the better feet. Tank with a counter as Roach gets him to the corner. Roach getting his jab working though. Tank with a few nice lefts. But Roach jaws Tank!!! Counter shot from Roach puts a shot in Tank’s legs! He’s OK but that was the best punch of the fight. And Roach keeps coming now. He’s full of confidence and letting his hands go now and Tank gives him a nod of respect at the end of the round.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Roach, 77-75 Davis overall.

Round 9: Roach has earned his propers in there and made this a good fight. How will the champion respond?

Tank with a sharp left to start. Roach with a nice combo inside but Tank blocks most. Roach keeps going. WHAT?

Tank just took a knee!

I have no idea what happened. He went to his corner for something? Oh, he forgot his mouthpiece so he took a knee. Now the referee is talking to him and he doesn’t rule it a knockdown which is insane. It obviously should be scored that.

But who cares because Tank is in assault mode! He comes out and starts attacking. Roach meeting him with force but Tank letting him have it. Roach up to the test though and landing some of his own. And Roach lands a nice counter right of his own. And another lead right. Tank fires shots in.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Davis, 87-84 overall.

Round 10: There is absolutely no way that shouldn’t be ruled a knockdown. He took a knee. That’s a goddamn robbery if it matters. Roach has grounds to be pissed.

Davis swings and comes up with air. Volume dropped on both sides here. Neither man doing much, looking for windows. And commentary informs us it wasn’t a mouthpiece, Tank got something in his eye. That’s such a knockdown.

And Roach gets one in on Tank then to the body. Tank to the body but Roach lands better up top. Roach getting that right hand in. And a combo. Tank returns fire. Roach ain’t backing down and lands his own. Body shot for Tank. Counter for Roach. He is equal to the power thus far and he keeps hitting. Brutal body shot from Tank and a left but Roach takes them and fires back.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Roach, 96-94 Davis overall.

Round 11: Roach pumping the jab as Tank walks him down. Trades from both men in the middle. Tank with the left three times. Then a combo. Roach has a chin on him because he’s taking all these well and giving as good as he gets. Punches are almost dead even. And combo for Roach lands. Davis pushes Roach to a knee in a clinch. Terrific counter right from Roach. Tank throws a scooping uppercut to the body like it’s Mortal Kombat. They’re getting after it. Break in the action and Tank is yelling while the ref speaks sternly to him but I don’t know what for. I missed it. We restart and Roach and Tank start slinging them. Roach is smiling and goading as they trade. Wild scenes.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Roach, 105-104 Davis overall.

Round 12: Scorecards could be all over the place on this one. Neither man should feel confident. Might be a special 12th round incoming.

Tank pumps the crowd up and then they dig in. Inside and trading short shots. Now they’re at range and talking and Roach lands a nice counter as Tank steps in. Both men keep talking as Roach works a nice combo to the body then to the head. Tank counters and Roach lands again. And again! Roach will not be denied. Rough clinch here. Roach is impressing and Tank might not realize how close this is. He’s not pushing the issue here. Body shot for Tank but Roach with a counter. Davis throws the fastest left hand I’ve ever seen and Roach slips it somehow. And then trades. Roach is fighting this man. They get into a clinch and Roach gets pushed down. The crowd is on its feet as the bout ends.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-Roach, 114-114 overall.

Official Decision: Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach fight to a majority draw (115-113, 114-114, 114-114)

Post-Fight: Davis says he believes he won the last three rounds but says he feels he let it Roach into the fight too much. Then he calls for them to run it back in New York. The crowd is booing Tank as he explains the knee, saying grease got in his eye. They are unhappy. He looks pissed.

Roach says he’s disappointed in the decision because he thought he won, then calls to run things back as well. Roach certainly carrying himself like a winner right now. He explains (correctly) that he deserved a knockdown and should’ve won, but doesn’t complain. Then says he wants to run it back.