Dan Hiergesell is an expert voice who serves as MMAmania.com's weekend editor, covering mixed martial arts (MMA) for more than 15 years, getting featured on programs such as Countdown to UFC and SiriusXM Fight Club, among others.

A super welterweight contender's bout was stopped prematurely earlier today (Sat., Dec. 21, 2024) LIVE on DAZN pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when Ishmael Davis' corner threw the towel in to save him against surging Ukrainian fighter Serhii Bohachuk.

Bohachuk, who lost his interim WBC light middleweight title in a clash with Vergil Ortiz Jr. this past August, came into this main card matchup as the betting favorite. His 24-2 professional record and high-level of competition warranted his favorite status, but Davis is a hungry up-and-comer who just tasted his first pro loss. It was going to be up to Bohachuk to deliver the goods and send Davis packing.

That's exactly what happened, but it may have happened too soon. After six rounds of action Davis' corner had seen enough and decided to call a stop to the fight to save their guy. It's a noble act, but Davis didn't seem to be in that type of trouble after the sixth round came to a close. That said, coaches know their fighter better than anyone so we're guessing they knew Davis was done for.

Check out some of the action below:

Bohachuk, 29, looked really good in this fight, but we're sure he would have liked for it to continue to get a decisive finish. Instead, he'll walk away with the TKO (corner's stoppage) and line himself up for a likely clash with current WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in 2025.