Danny Garcia knocks out Brandon Rios in WBC welterweight world title eliminator

Former two-division world champion Danny Garcia stopped Brandon Rios with a ninth-round knockout in their WBC welterweight world title eliminator.

Rios did return to his feet after the punch but referee Kenny Bayless stepped in, meaning Garcia has set up a potential rematch against WBC and WBA champion Keith Thurman or a fight against IBF champion Errol Spence Jr.

Garcia said: "I came to box, and I did that. I gave the fans what they wanted, a knockout."

Rios said he was not happy with the decision. "I'm mad. I don't like going out like that," he said. "I'm a warrior. I guess the corner stopped it. I didn't think he did much to hurt me."

It was Garcia's first fight since losing the WBC title in a unification fight with Thurman in March 2017.

Earlier in the evening, David Benavidez retained his WBC super middleweight title for the first time in a 12-round unanimous decision win over Ronald Gavril. The judges scored it 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109.