Nigeria’s hard-hitting heavyweight contender, Efe Ajagba, delivered a statement victory in the early hours of Sunday, forcing a fourth-round technical knockout over former IBF champion Charles Martin in Las Vegas.
Ajagba dropped the American southpaw once in the third round and again in the fourth before referee Thomas Taylor halted the bout at 1:11 of the fourth round, with Martin still standing but absorbing sustained punishment. The contest headlined a Zuffa Boxing card streamed on Paramount+ from the Meta APEX.
Ranked No. 8 by The Ring, Ajagba improved his record to 21-1-1 (15 KOs), bouncing back emphatically from his 10-round majority draw against Martin Bakole in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May. The victory marked a timely return to winning ways for the 29-year-old Nigerian, who is seeking bigger fights in a stacked heavyweight division.
Martin (30-5-1, 27 KOs), a former IBF titleholder, had fought only once in the previous 31 months prior to Saturday’s clash. The 39-year-old suffered the third knockout defeat of his 13-year professional career.
The bout was competitive in its opening exchanges. Martin landed sharp left hands in the first round and briefly unsettled Ajagba with a right hook late in the second. However, momentum shifted decisively in the third.
After Martin connected with a left that caught Ajagba’s attention midway through the round, the Nigerian responded with a thunderous right hand that sent Martin crashing to the canvas with 1:07 remaining. Though Martin rose and survived the round, he was visibly shaken.
Just 23 seconds into the fourth, Ajagba unleashed three successive right hands that floored Martin again. The American beat the count, but Ajagba pressed forward with a barrage of right hands and a left, prompting the referee to step in and wave off the contest.
Speaking in the ring afterward, Ajagba expressed confidence in his readiness for elite opposition.
“I’m ready for everyone in the top 10,” he declared. “Nobody’s mentioning my name, but I’m in the top 10 and ready to go. I want to fight the top 10, top five.”
With a commanding finish against a former world champion, Ajagba has strengthened his claim for a marquee matchup as he continues his ascent in the heavyweight rankings.
