Billy Joe Saunders is set for surgery later today after suffering ‘multiple fractures’ to the orbital bone in his defeat to Canelo Alvarez.
The Brit had been competing well with the pound-for-pound king in front of a record-breaking crowd in Dallas, Texas.
However, that all changed in one moment of the 8 th round when the Mexican caught Saunders with a thundering uppercut.
He did managed to finish the round, before his corner decided he was unable to continue, handing Canelo yet another victory as he marches towards unifying the super-middleweight division.
In the aftermath of the fight it was discovered Saunders had suffered an orbital fracture, with the Athletic offering more detail on the gruesome injury.
"Bumped into Eddie Hearn in the lobby on his way to see Billy Joe Saunders at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth,” Athletic reporter James Coppinger explained on social media.
“Saunders set to have surgery today on multiple fractures to his orbital bone, a complete blowout, known as a quadripod fracture. Brutal injury.”
Canelo, speaking shortly after winning the WBC, WBA and WBO super-middleweight belts, knew he had caused a serious injury to his outspoken opponent.
"I knew it. The truth is, I knew it," Canelo told DAZN. “I think I broke his cheek and I knew he wasn't going to come out.
"I told [trainer] Eddy [Reynoso] he's not coming out, because I broke his cheek, and that was it."
Matchroom boxing chief Eddie Hearn predicted Saunders now faces an extended spell on the sidelines as he looks to recover from such a serious injury.
"You could see as soon as he [Canelo] hit him [Saunders] that he'd done his eye socket,” Hearn told iFL TV.
"I think because he couldn't see, the next round was going to be a bad situation. I think he would have got badly hurt in that round.
"He's gone to hospital and I believe he'll have that operated on immediately. So he's going to be out for a long, long time.
"But he's a world class fighter who lost to the pound-for-pound number one. He's a two-weight world champion.
"If he wants to carry on there's some big fights out there for him. He may feel he has got to a stage where he's been there, he's done it, he's seen it all. We'll back him 100%."
