Jaime Munguia overcame a determined challenge from the previously unbeaten Erik Bazinyan on Friday, knocking him out in the tenth round of their bout at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Az.

The former WBO junior middleweight titleholder kept up the relentless pressure throughout the fight before a left hook along the ropes put the Canada-based Armenian for the count at the 2:36 mark.

The win comes in the first fight for Munguia (44-1, 35 knockouts) under new promoter Top Rank, and allows him to rebound from the first defeat of his career, a unanimous decision loss to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in May.

The fight was far from a listless tuneup assignment for the 27-year-old Munguia, however.

“It was fight I had to do intelligently. He’s strong. He hits hard. So we had to break him down and be careful with shots to the body. And in the 10th round, that’s when I decided to come out with everything. And that’s how we got the knockout,” said Munguia, who is rated no. 2 by The Ring at 168 pounds.

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Munguia was beginning to pull away at the time of stoppage, with the judges having him ahead 88-83, 87-84 and 86-85 at the point in which the fight ended. Bazinyan did best on David Sutherland’s card, winning four of the first five rounds before losing four in a row prior to the knockout.

“I felt like I was winning. I felt he was very frustrated with my jab, right hand, and counters. He was getting tired. All of a sudden, I got caught. I don’t know what happened there,” said Bazinyan.

Bazinyan, 29, got off to a determined start in the first round, successfully keeping Munguia at distance with his jab and straight right hand. Bazinyan, who had respected Quebec-based coach Marc Ramsay in his corner, maintained control of distance in the first two rounds, as Munguia attempted to push the pace in the third. Bazinyan regained control of the boxing match in the fourth round as he began to double and triple his jab, catching Munguia whenever he kept his head stationary too long and interrupting his rhythm.

Munguia finally turned the corner in the sixth round as he began to roll under the straight punches of Bazinyan and come inside with left hooks around the guard. Bazinyan, conceding that he was outgunned whenever they were in close, would try to keep his guard tight instead of exchanging punches. Body punches were beginning to slow down Bazinyan, who was fighting in the first twelve rounder of his 11-year pro career.

Bazinyan was hurt for the first time in the seventh after a right hand, which connected as he tried his own right uppercut, landed flush followed by a left hook which sent him into the ropes. Bazinyan showed amazing recovery powers as he regained his footing and began to look for counterpunch opportunities, most notably with the straight right hand.

As Bazinyan’s jab began to slow, Munguia’s pressure began to break Bazinyan down.

Munguia used the roll that had opened up his opponent earlier to greater effect in the tenth, hurting Bazinyan with a hook as he stood straight up. Referee Thomas Taylor advised Bazinyan that he had to begin fighting back, which he did, but his willingness to return fire opened him up for the left hook which led to the finishing sequence of the fight.

Munguia voiced his interest in facing other top fighters at 168 pounds in the future, including RING no. 1 contender Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs), a Montreal based contender who is co-promoted by Top Rank and Eye of the Tiger Management. Munguia also named Edgar Berlanga and Caleb Plant, as well.

“There are great fights, and we will give great wars as well.”