Emanuel Navarrete forces late TKO stoppage to dethrone Eduardo Nunez

The pair arrived at Glendale's Desert Diamond Arena seeking to secure a second strap to add to their own amid a crowded division scene.

But it was the former who added another belt to his collection, with an assured performance in Arizona to further underlines his credentials.

Victory for Navarrete will increase the clamour for him to eye undisputed status across the junior-lightweight division heading deeper into 2026.

For Nunez, handed just a second professional loss however, it is a result that will check his own ambitions, forcing a possible switch of weight.

Entering to plenty of fanfare, the Mexican duo traded early on before Navarrete began to find greater purchase heading deeper into the contest.

A series of heavy blows in the ninth round damaged Nunez, forcing the doctors to intervene before the contest was waved on to continue.

Navarrete, a three-weight champion, exploited the issues however, leaving his foe with a swollen eyes and the contest waved off shortly after.

Sign up to DAZN Ultimate Tier to get PPVs included in your subscription 

Subscribe to DAZN's new Ultimate Tier to get a minimum of 12 PPV events included per year, including Derek Chisora vs. Deontay Wilder (April 4), and Wardley vs. Dubois (May 9), on top of another 185 fight nights. Plus Serie A football, watch on multiple devices, and many more extra benefits.

Sign up for £22.99 in the UK / $44.99 in the U.S. More details here.