Las Vegas, NV -- Bernard Hopkins - Jermain Taylor update

Undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins is facing undefeated Jermain Taylor in a title match at the MGM Grand.

After letting Taylor dominate most of the fight, Hopkins finally woke up in the 10th round and connected with a solid right to the head of Taylor that seemed to change the momentum of the bout. Hopkins continued to land solid shots throughout the round.

Through nine rounds, Taylor was in complete control with Hopkins just showing flashes of greatness. Taylor had Hopkins against the ropes and hit him with a flurry of body shots seconds into the ninth. However, Hopkins recovered to get in a few good rights late in the round.

Hopkins connected with a solid left hook early in the fifth round before Taylor received a substantial cut on the left side of his head from an accidental head butt.

Hopkins then landed a solid right-hand counterpunch and, after taking a few jabs from Taylor late in the fifth, taunted his opponent with a little shimmy in the closing seconds of the round.

Early in the second round, Taylor stunned Hopkins with a right and landed another right to the body with about two minutes left in the round.

Taylor had a slight edge in a first round in which the fighters mostly felt each other out.

The 40-year-old Hopkins, who is making his middleweight-record 21st title defense, is 46-2-1 with 32 knockouts. He is 20-1-1 with one no contest in title fights and is 24-0-1 with one no contest since a 12-round loss to Roy Jones Jr. on May 22, 1993.

Taylor, 26, is undefeated (23-0, 17 KOs) since winning the Bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics.