Sunny Edwards stopped as Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez becomes unified ...

Sunny Edwards praised Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez as “a hell of a fighter” after the American won their flyweight unification fight on Saturday night.

The pair met in Glendale, Arizona, with the chance to come away with the WBO and IBF division belts.

British fighter Edwards was bringing the IBF strap and his unbeaten record, but it was the undefeated WBO champ who kept his record intact.

Rodriguez last fought in April when he suffered a broken jaw, and there were reasons to think that the talented Edwards might exploit any weakness, but ‘Bam’ was the fighter in control.

He sent Edwards to the canvas in the ninth round, and with swelling around both eyes affecting his vision, Edwards’ team would not let him back out for the 10th.

"This is a hell of a fighter," the losing fighter said after the fight.

He told the BBC: "My tricks that usually get me out of the way of shots, he was getting on to them.

"I just couldn't see. From the second round, my eye was completely blurry and from about round six I got cut. It was getting hard in there, more through the vision."

Rodriguez boasted a seven-inch reach advantage, but the pair both demonstrated their abilities in attack and defence, though ultimately Edwards was taking more damage over the course of the fight.

Before the ninth round, a doctor checked Edwards’ eye and while he was cleared to continue, the knockdown in the following round convinced his corner that it was not safe to continue, especially with Rodriguez on top.

"I'm bitterly disappointed, but grateful to be in the main event," Edwards said. "Flyweight boxers, we don't get this.

"I'll be back. Boxing is all I've got. Just a bit disappointed my eye went so early on. But, yes, no excuses from me."

On Saturday 23 December, fight fans will witness boxing’s greatest champions, head-to-head in what promises to be an action-filled night of entertainment, as part of Riyadh Season. In a UK broadcast first “Day of Reckoning” will be available live on both DAZN and TNT Sports Box Office for fans to watch in the UK and Ireland.

“Day of Reckoning” costs £19.99 in the UK and can be watched through DAZN or TNT Sports Box Office and is available via the DAZN app on Smart TVs, streaming sticks, tablets, laptops and game consoles, Virgin Media TV, Sky and EE TV.

You do not need to be a subscriber to buy this event and more information on all the ways you can watch can be found at www.dayofreckoning.co.uk

DAZN customers can purchase the fight on www.DAZN.com or via the DAZN app, accessed on their Smart TVs, streaming sticks, laptop, tablets, mobiles and games consoles.

Virgin Media TV customers in the UK: customers with a TiVo and/or V6 set-top-box should visit the On-Demand section and choose Live Events; customers with a Virgin TV 360 and/or Stream set-top-box should go to the Pay Per View Events rail.

EE TV customers can go to channel 495 and pay using their remote control.

Customers in the Republic of Ireland can purchase via the DAZN app or through TNT Sports Box Office via Sky at https://www.sky.com/boxoffice/tnt-sports - €29.99 or €34.99 (on the day).

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.