FRISCO, Texas – Israil Madrimov moved one step closer toward a world title shot by winning just his fifth professional fight Saturday night.

Uzbekistan’s Madrimov battered Charlie Navarro before stopping him in the sixth round of their scheduled 10-round junior middleweight match on the Mikey Garcia-Jessie Vargas undercard. Referee Rafael Ramos stopped their fight at 2:24 of the sixth round, after the 25-year-old Madrimov dropped Navarro twice in that round at Ford Center at The Star, the Dallas Cowboys’ training center.

Madrimov’s fast hands and power overwhelmed Navarro almost immediately. Madrimov (5-0, 5 KOs), a 2016 Olympian, switched from a right-handed stance to southpaw regularly, and beat up Navarro for five-plus rounds.

According to the WBA, his victory over Navarro will move Madrimov into the number two spot in its 154-pound rankings. Jeison Rosario (20-1-1, 14 KOs), who upset Julian Williams by fifth-round technical knockout January 18 in Philadelphia, is the WBA’s super welterweight champion.

Venezuela’s Navarro (29-10, 22 KOs) had won four straight fights since Mexico’s Carlos Ocampo knocked him out in the fifth round of their February 2016 fight.

A left hand to the body by Madrimov made Navarro wince and take a knee with 55 seconds to go in the sixth round. Navarro beat Ramos’ count, but he quickly sent Navarro to the canvas again.

Ramos waved an end to the bout as soon as Navarro hit the canvas again.

Madrimov made Navarro stumble backward when he landed a straight left hand in the fifth round.

Madrimov hammered away at Navarro’s head and body throughout an entirely one-sided fourth round. Navarro went down with 1:06 to go in the fourth, but Ramos rightly ruled it a slip.

A left hook by Madrimov wobbled Navarro with about two minutes to go in the second round. Navarro moved toward the ropes, but Madrimov couldn’t put him down.

With about 20 seconds to go in the second round, Navarro turned away from Madrimov and pawed at his right eye. Ramos never called for a break in the action and instructed Navarro to continue fighting.

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