Liam Davies Demolishes Erik Robles to Claim IBO Super Bantamweight Title

Liam Davies, 27, from Donnington, added the IBO super bantamweight world title to his growing collection of belts with a stunning second-round stoppage of Mexican challenger Erik Robles. Davies, now 16-0 (8 KOs), had rapidly captured the English, British, and European titles.

Robles, 15-2 (9 KOs), who had outlasted Lee McGregor in a war during his last visit to Britain, had no answer for Davies' aggression, accuracy, and power. The Briton got to business immediately, catching Robles with long, straight punches despite being the bigger man at Super Bantamweight. Robles calmly absorbed the shots and fired back with his burst, but Davies held his ground.

The second round began with Robles showing more aggression, but he walked directly into a right uppercut that knocked him down. Davies instinctively followed it with a clean left hook. Robles somehow got up, and after examining him, referee John Latham allowed the fight to continue. Davies coldly went for the finish, trapping Robles on the ropes and landing a clean right hand and left hook, prompting the referee to stop the contest at 1:17 of the second round.

"It's a blessing. I made my debut in Birmingham, and I just won the first of many world titles there," Davies said after the fight. "Respect to Erik Robles. I beat a proper champion there. He's been out sparring Inoue, and he's beaten some good fighters on his way. This is the start of a massive 2024."

Davies' promoter, Frank Warren, praised the performance, saying, "That was a world-class finish and world-class performance. Think of the fight he [Robles] had with Lee McGregor, who everyone was raving about. He did a good job tonight. I can't tell you how exciting it was. That was a brilliant performance."

With this impressive victory, Liam Davies has positioned himself for major fights in the super bantamweight division. He looks set to significantly impact the world stage in the coming year.