LAS VEGAS – Caleb Plant suffered a frontrunner for “Upset of the Year” on Saturday night when rugged Mexican slugger Armando Resindez scored a split-decision win at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Plant, a minus-2500 betting favorite, started strong but faded late. After the fight, he revealed that he was dealing with a problematic right hand.

“It was hurting me a little bit,” Plant said during his post-fight press conference. “It was kind of bruised. But that’s not an excuse. What do you do? I was putting my jab on him, using the whole ring, switching directions, using feints. I didn’t use my right hand as much as I wanted. It was bothering me.”

The busier Resendiz out-landed Plant 186 to 108 in overall punches landed, according to CompuBox. He also dominated the second half of the fight.

Judges Max De Luca and Steve Weisfeld scored the fight the same, 116-112 for Resendiz (16-2, 11 KOs). Judge David Sutherland scored it 115-113 for Plant (23-3, 14 KOs).

“It was a great fight,” Plant said. “It was a close fight. I feel like it could have gone either way. But it’s live by the sword and die by the sword, and the judges saw it the way they did. I am not the type to make any excuses. I left no stone unturned in this camp and put it all in.

“I’m disappointed. I felt like I won at least five of the first six. I felt like I definitely pulled two out of there somewhere down the stretch. That’s 7-5 right there. I felt like I did enough to win the fight, but the judges didn’t see it that way. Sometimes that’s how the cookie crumbles.”

Plant's loss upended plans for a long-anticipated Jermall Charlo fight later this year. In the co-main event, Charlo (34-0, 23 KOs) stopped another big underdog, Thomas LaManna (39-6-1, 18 KOs), one second into the sixth round. During his separate post-fight interview, Charlo said Plant dropped the ball, but that he is still open to the matchup and “wanted his lick back” after Plant slapped him in 2023.

Plant is also open to the proposal as he figures out his future.

“I am down for anything, and going into the Charlo fight [next],” said Plant. “I have a rematch clause, so I am more than willing to run it right back [with Resendiz].”

Plant said he hadn’t put the cart before the horse and thought about a big money fight with Charlo as the Resendiz fight loomed.

“Fights are not won on paper. They are won in the ring,” Plant said. “I take nothing away from Resendiz. He’s a hell of a fighter. I am happy for him … I knew it would be a tough fight. People need to understand that it’s not a popularity contest. Just because a man doesn’t have a million followers or isn’t always in the limelight, it doesn't mean that he’s not a good fighter. I knew what was on my hands. I definitely didn’t overlook him.”