Tim Bradley stopped Brandon Rios after a pair of knockdowns in Round 9 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Bradley (33-1-1, 13 knockouts) was last in the ring for a unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas in which all was going well until moments before the final bell, when Bradley got tagged with a right hand that seemed to have him on the verge of a knockout, raising questions about his chin. Bradley survived the round and denied that he was seriously hurt, but later cited the punch as a major reason for switching to trainer Teddy Atlas for this fight.

It may have been a great move. Bradley opened the fight in control, using a sharp jab to dictate the pace. Rios (33-3-1, 24 KOs) re-asserted himself in the second round, but Bradley avoided standing in the line of fire and used some good footwork to set up a variety of power shots and combinations.

The between-round speeches were fiery in both corners by Rounds 7 and 8 but Bradley was thoroughly in control when he landed a bodyshot to put Rios down in Round 9. Rios beat the count but went down moments later and referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight.

A full report will follow.