Nigerian boxer Efe Ajagba continued his rise in the heavyweight division with a third-round brutal knockout of American, Brian Howard, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Osage Casino, in Tulsa on Sunday.
The win takes Ajagba’s record to 15, 12 knockouts, one disqualification and three fights that went the distance.
The PUNCH reports that the pugilist shook off the drab performance he put up in his unanimous decision to win over Jonathan Rice last September to claim a deserved victory.
The Nigerian dominated the fight from the sound of the bell and was no match for the 40-year-old veteran, who failed to halt his advances before he dropped to the canvas in the third round.
Howard fell awkwardly after a dangerous right punch from Ajagba, and the fight was called off after doctors attended to him.
The American eventually sat up and then got up after two minutes.
“I felt good. I tried to pick the punches, use the jab. This guy is very slick sometimes,” Ajagba said after the fight.
“I tried to do the job. He was shaky, so when I went back to the corner after the first round, my coach told me to take my time, start with the body, leave the head.
“I trained for this fight, took my time, started with my boxing foundation, and came back strong. This camp was the best one for me, the best camp ever in my boxing career.
“It’s my time to shine, so I’m coming for the heavyweights,” Ajagba added.