Arslanbek Makhmudov overwhelmed Junior Anthony Wright in predictably easy fashion Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The powerful, undefeated Russian heavyweight contender attacked Wright as soon as their bout began and quickly stopped the former cruiserweight in the first round on the pay-per-view portion of the Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou undercard at Kingdom Arena. Makhmudov viciously knocked Wright to the canvas with a three-punch combination and finished him soon thereafter.

Referee Steve Gray wisely halted the action only 1:10 into the first round, with Wright still on his feet.

The 34-year-old Makhmudov, who trains and resides in Montreal, improved to 18-0 and recorded his 17th knockout. The 37-year-old Wright (20-5-1, 17 KOs), of Evanston, Illinois, lost by knockout for the fourth time during 12-year pro career he began as a cruiserweight.

Makhmudov was listed as at least a 40-1 favorite by most sportsbooks.

A right-left-left combination by Makhmudov knocked Wright to the canvas with 2:13 to go in the opening round. A disoriented Wright reached his feet by the time Gray counted to nine, but he was clearly still hurt.

Makhmudov blasted Wright with another right hand that wobbled Wright and Gray understandably stepped between them and stopped their fight.

Several seconds before Wright went down, Makhmudov nailed Wright with a right hand to the side of his head. Wright immediately came forward after taking that hard shot and paid the price.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.