(This story first appeared on USA TODAY.)

Canelo Alvarez did not achieve the promised knockout.

But he landed brutal punches (and took some, too) in his impressive victory over Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision in a 12-round super middleweight bout.

The fighters had to be separated several times and exchanged insults throughout the fight. Berlanga was warned once for headbutting and Alvarez seemed to take exception to that and other tactics used by Berlanga. “I get a little angry – a Mexican,” Alvarez said. The crowd roared with laughter.

The judges awarded 117-110, 118-109 and 118-109.

“I am the best fighter in the world,” said Alvarez, drawing cheers from the sold-out crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Alvarez knocked Berlanga down with a left hook in the third round while defending his super middleweight title.

But Berlanga quickly got back on his feet and survived the onslaught in a 12-round fight.

Alvarez has now gone six fights without a knockout, the last of which came in 2021 against Caleb Plant, whom Alvarez stopped by TKO in the 11th round.

Saturday’s fight was billed as the latest chapter in the boxing rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico, with Alvarez taking on Berlanga, a New York native whose parents are from Puerto Rico.

“I could have done a lot more. But I was there with a legend, man,” Berlanga said.

The 34-year-old Alvarez improved to 62-2-2. The 27-year-old Berlanga fell to 22-1.