By Francisco Salazar

Hard-hitting featherweight contender Bryan De Gracia dropped Edinso Torres three times en route to a fourth round knockout victory Thursday night at the Fantastic Casino de Albrook Mall in Panama City, Panama.

Torres entered the fight unbeaten, but had not faced a fighter with a winning record. He was overmatched from the opening bell, receiving a barrage of hooks and crosses from the aggressive De Gracia, who resides in David, Panama.

De Gracia dropped Torres once in round three and twice more in round four before referee Gustavo Padilla saved De Gracia from receiving further punishment and stopped the bout at 1:58.

The 24-year-old De Gracia (24-1, 20 knockouts), who is ranked number nine by the WBA and number 11 by the WBC, has won his last four bouts since suffering his only defeat at the hands of Jorge Sanchez on May of last year.

Torres, who resides in Los Teques, Venezuela, drops to 10-1, 6 KOs.

Fringe junior lightweight contender Francisco Fonseca improved to 22-1-1, 16 KOs with a fifth round knockout victory over Sandro Hernandez. Fonseca, who resides in San Ramon, Costa Rica, has won his last three bouts since his eighth round knockout loss to Gervonta Davis on Aug. 26 of last year.

Fonseca is ranked number 12 by the WBO.

Hernandez, who resides in Cumana, Venezuela, drops to 14-4-3, 9 KOs.

Junior lightweight Jaime Arboleda (13-1, 11 KOs) forced Kenin Betancourt (8-1, 7 KOs) to remain on his stool and not answer the fourth round.

Arboleda has won his last three fights, all by knockout, since his third round knockout loss to Filipino Recky Dulay in Inglewood, California in July of 2015.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for Boxingscene.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (Calif.) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing