A new heavyweight’s knockout video is racing across the internet after he delivered on of the most devastating finishes boxing has seen recently.

By Tyson Otto

Sweet mercy, Efe Ajagba.

The Nigerian heavyweight has sent a warning to the division with one of the most brutal, one-punch knockouts boxing has seen in recent years.

The undefeated 26-year-old folded opponent Brian Smith in half with a third round knockout that has stunned the boxing world.

The fight had gone back and fourth in the opening rounds with Ajagba eating his fair share of shots despite marching Howard down.

In the third round it was all over in an instant when Howard committed the cardinal sin of failing to keep his guard up, looking for a quick counter.

He never got the chance to respond. Having given Ajagba an opening, he stayed on his feet for just a couple of seconds longer.

Ajagba’s right hand is simply scary.

The reverse angle is somehow even worse for Howard, with his head spinning back 180 degrees as a result of the force behind Ajagba’s missile.

“It feels really good,” Ajagba told ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna.

“I listened to the corner, they told me to start to the body and then go to the head. When I started with the jab to the body, it caused him to drop his hands. Then came the right hand.”

He didn’t muck around when interviewed out of the ring.

“I’m coming for the heavyweights. I’m going to be heavyweight champion of the world,” he said.

He stole the show on a huge day of boxing, which included Aussie star Ebanie Bridges’ brave world title fight defeat to Shannon Courtenay and Conor Benn’s 80-second thrashing of Samuel Vargas.

Ajagba was fighting on the ESPN-televised card headlined by Joe Smith’s showdown with Maxim Vlasov.

It won’t be long before Ajagba is headlining his own cards.

Originally published at news.com.au