Kudratillo Abdukakhorov didn’t make the televised cut, though just getting in the ring was good enough.

The unbeaten welterweight maintained his pace as the mandatory challenger to the IBF title following a stoppage win over Puerto Rico’s Javier Flores. The bout took place on the non-televised undercard of a Showtime tripleheader taking place Saturday evening at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Abdukakhorov scored the bout’s lone knockdown in round five and dialed up the pressure down the stretch. Flores was game but overmatched, eventually beaten into submission as referee Arthur Mercante Jr. signaled an end to the fight prior to the start of round nine.

The bout marked the first ring appearance for Abdukakhorov (18-0, 10KOs) in more than a year, having not fought since a technical unanimous decision win over former titlist Luis Collazo in Oct. 2019. The undefeated Uzbek—who fights out of Malaysia—was due to face former junior welterweight titlist Sergey Lipinets in an interim IBF welterweight title fight, only for the bout to be delayed due to the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Plans were restored once Showtime announced its post-pandemic schedule last summer, only for the bout to suffer two postponements due to Abdukakhorov’s inability to secure a travel visa. The fight was scrapped altogether, with Lipinets facing Canada’s Custio Clayton on short notice last October. The fight ended in a draw, with the interim IBF belt remaining unclaimed.

With that, Abdukakhorov remains next in line for a shot at the IBF belt currently held by Errol Spence (27-0, 21KOs), who also owns the WBC belt.

Efforts were made to land a stay-busy fight for the 27-year-old contender. This bout was initially canceled when Flores could not get his medicals cleared in time for the fight announcement. A contingency plan called for Abdukakhorov to face unbeaten Cody Crowley on an April 10 Showtime card, only for the bout to be pulled after both camps agreed to terms.

Flores was able to receive medical clearance in time for this fight to make its way back to the schedule, only to land off TV. It mattered little to Abdukakhorov, who won every round and sent Flores to the canvas in round five. Flores rose to his feet at the count of nine as he was permitted to continue. The 35-year-old southpaw from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico was pushed to the canvas later in the frame, not ruled a knockdown as he survived the rough round.

Abdukakhorov continued with the attack, dialing up the pressure in round eight but with Flores (15-3, 13KOs) able to make it to the bell. His bravery was noted though concerns for his health taking precedence as the fight was stopped.

Abdukakhorov led 80-71 on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage.

The win leaves Abdukakhorov next in line for a mandatory title shot versus Spence.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox