Vic Darchinyan (36-3-1, 27 KOs) wasted little time in devouring Colombia’s Yonnhy Perez with a barrage of punches before the fight was stopped due to an accidental clash of heads. Darchinyan captured the vacant IBO bantamweight world title on the score cards on April 23.

Darchinyan had promised a meaner and more aggressive style and he kept that promise as Perez (21-2-1, 14 KOs) was stunned early and never recovered in a fight many expected to be close. The crowd at the Nokia Theater sat stunned from the very beginning at the onslaught.

Darchinyan was the aggressor in the first round and let loose with some big left hand bombs. Perez just stayed in the pocket and fired a couple of right leads. Darchinyan landed a left through Perez’s glove for the best punch of the frame.

A short left cross by Darchinyan to the chin decked Perez early in the second round. A left uppercut wobbled Perez but somehow he survived a bludgeoning on his feet.

Perez ignited fast in the third round behind some stinging right hands that seemed to slightly stun Darchinyan. But the gritty Armenian slipped into another gear and began firing left after left to win the round and nearly drop Perez.

Both slowed down in round four but Darchinyan unloaded a seven-punch combination to the head and body that had Perez reeling again. The Colombian rallied a bit but didn’t seem to have much zip to his punches.

A clash of heads opened up a gush of blood over Perez’ s right eyebrow in the fifth round and Dr. Paul Wallace advised the fight be stopped at 1:07, but there was no doubt that the score cards would favor Darchinyan overwhelmingly. Even in the shortened round the Armenian slugger dominated. Before the cards were read the Armenian fighter was hoisted on his corner man’s shoulder, thesweetscience.com reported.

Darchinyan dedicated this bout to the memory of the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide.