LAS VEGAS — Saturday's superfight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford is the talk of the town.

On Wednesday, The Ring served an appetizer of sorts with a five-fight card at Bleaulive Theater at Fontainebleau that was open to the public and free for fans to attend before public workouts.

The fight festival kicked off the first leg of back-to-back nights of bouts to support the main course, which is set to take place at Allegiant Stadium.

On Thursday night, The Ring’s new series “The Underdog” also takes place at Fontainebleau.

Junior middleweight prospect Abdullah Darkazanly dazzled in the main event Wednesday by damaging Kody Koboski en route to a third-round stoppage win.

Darkazanly (2-0, 1 KO), a 24-year-old trained by Abel Sanchez and a former Alvarez sparring partner who made his pro debut in December, crushed Koboski (4-3, 4 KOs) from the opening bell until referee Robert Hoyle waved off the action at the 1:23 of the third round.

In the co-main event, light heavyweight prospect Bek Nurmaganbet scored a dominating third-round stoppage win against Steven Sumpter.

Nurmaganbet (15-0, 13 KOs), a 27-year-old southpaw, dropped Sumpter midway through the second round with a left hook. Sumpter (11-2-1, 9 KOs) held himself up with his gloves and didn’t appear badly hurt, but by the end of the round he absorbed more damage and his nose was busted.

Nurmaganbet unleashed furious one-way traffic in the third round and blasted the defenseless Sumpter from pillar to post. A ringside physician was summoned to inspect Sumpter before the fourth round got underway, but his corner called off the fight.

In other action, Brayan Leon (9-0, 7 KOs) scored a unanimous decision against Devontae McDonald (8-6, 2 KOs) in their eight-round super middleweight fight.

McDonald gave a great account of himself against the Eddy Reynoso-managed contender in the first half of the fight, but Leon found a second gear to close the show in style, ultimately winning by scores of 80-71, 80-72, 80-72.

Heavyweights Yoandy Toirac (3-0-1, 3 KOs) and Skylar Lacy (8-1-3, 6 KOs) stood toe-to-toe and slugged it out for six rounds to a split draw. The judges had the fight on both ends of the spectrum, with one scoring it 59-55 for Lacy and the other 59-55 for Toirac. A third judge had it 57-57.

An all-action flyweight fight between Mikie Tallon (10-0, 1 KO) and Christian Robles (9-4, 4 KOs) kicked off the card. Tallon, a 20-year-old cornered by trainer Joe Gallagher and former title challenger Paul Butler, patiently peppered a jab in the first two rounds and unleashed a vicious counter right hand in the third that dropped Robles.

Clearly rocked, Robles rebounded to survive the round but tasted the canvas once again in the closing seconds of the sixth and final round of their fight, this time courtesy of a flush right uppercut. Tallon was awarded a score of of 59-53 by each of the three judges.