Former WBC super featherweight champion Alberto Machado was knocked out in yet another weight class Thursday night.
Canadian junior welterweight Steve Claggett dropped Machado three times, once in the second round and twice in the third round, before their scheduled 10-round bout was stopped at Casino de Montreal in Montreal. Referee Steve St. Germain officially halted the action at 2:29 of the third round.
Calgary’s Claggett (35-7-2, 25 KOs) extended his winning streak to six on the Erik Bazinyan-Jose de Jesus Macias undercard. Puerto Rico’s Machado (23-4, 19 KOs) lost by knockout or technical knockout for the fourth time in the 32-year-old ex-champion’s past six fights.
After dropping Machado twice, Claggett landed a left hook and a right uppercut that knocked Machado to the canvas for the third time with 47 seconds on the clock in the third round. Claggett landed another right uppercut when Machado was already down on one knee, but he wasn’t warned by St. Germain, who stopped the bout just as Machado reached his feet.
A left hook to the body by Claggett knocked Machado to his gloves and knees for the second time in as many rounds with 1:32 to go in the third round. Machado again beat the count, but he looked like a battered and beaten man.
Earlier, Claggett caught Machado with a left hook to the side of his head that sent Machado to his gloves and knees with 23 seconds to go in the second round.
Claggett connected with a left uppercut and then a right hand around the midway mark of the first round. Claggett cracked Machado with a right uppercut just before the bell sounded to end the opening round as well.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.