LAS VEGAS – Andres Cortes needed more than one round this time, but he scored another impressive knockout Friday night.

Two-and-a-half months after he knocked out former contender Genesis Servania in the first round, Las Vegas’ Cortes stopped another Filipino fighter, Mark Bernaldez, in the third round of their eight-round lightweight fight. Referee Allen Huggins halted their fight at 2:12 of the third round because Bernaldez had taken too many flush punches in their fight on the Mikaela Mayer-Maiva Hamadouche undercard at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

Cortes improved to 16-0 and recorded his ninth knockout. Bernaldez (23-5, 17 KOs) lost by technical knockout for the third time in 10 years as a pro.

Cortes left hook backed Bernaldez into the ropes with about 1:05 remaining in the third round. Sensing Bernaldez was ready to go, Cortes attacked him, landed a chopping right to the side of his head and urged Huggins to step between them because Bernaldez took several unanswered punches.

Less than 30 seconds into the third round, Huggins warned Bernaldez for leading with his head. An accidental clash of heads prompted another warning from Huggins about 15 seconds later.

Earlier Friday night, Abdullah Mason flashed some of the potential in his pro debut that have many within the boxing industry high on his future in the sport.

The 17-year-old, powerful southpaw from Cleveland rocked and stopped Jaylan Phillips during the second round of their four-round lightweight fight. Referee Robert Hoyle stopped the action at 2:09 of the second round, with a staggered Phillips still on his feet.

The 22-year-old Phillips, of Ebro, Florida, fell to 1-1 (1 KO).

Mason landed a right uppercut and then a right hook to the body with about 1:45 to go in the second round. Mason then staggered Phillips with a left hand when there was just over 1:20 on the clock in the second round.

Mason drilled Phillips with a left hand that wobbled him and prompted Hoyle to step between them to stop their fight.

Barely 1:10 into their fight, Mason drilled Phillips with a straight left that buzzed Phillips and backed him into the ropes. Mason landed another left hand toward the end of the opening round.

In the bout before Mason won his pro debut, Ian Green rejuvenated his career by knocking off an undefeated fighter.

The 28-year-old Paterson, New Jersey, native out-boxed Tyler Howard and won an eight-round unanimous decision. Green boxed off his back foot for most of their bout, but he landed the cleaner, sharper punches on the aggressive, strong Howard.

Judges Eric Cheek (80-71), Dave Moretti (79-72) and Patricia Morse Jarman (79-72) all favored Green (15-2, 11 KOs), who has won three straight fights since suffering a seventh-round, technical-knockout loss to Kemahl Russell in September 2017.

The 27-year-old Howard, of Crossville, Tennessee, entered their fight with a 19-0 record, including 11 knockouts, but he mostly had built his record against a low level of opposition.

Howard landed a hard right hand about 30 seconds into the eighth round, though that made Green come forward and fire hard shots of his own. Green backed up Howard with a left hook up top after they traded hard body shots just after the halfway point of the eighth round.

Green landed a left hook and then a right hand just after the midway mark of the seventh round. Howard kept pressuring Green in that round, though he had trouble landing flush punches on him.

Huggins warned Green for holding late in the seventh round.

Green continued connecting with short right hands on the inside during the sixth round, but Howard pressed the action and kept Green fighting off his back foot. Howard’s right hand affected Green with just under a minute to go in the fifth round.

Huggins deducted a point from Howard following the fourth round because, for the second straight round, he hit Green after the bell sounded.

Green landed a right hand about a minute into the fourth round that made Howard hold him. About 50 seconds later, Green connected with a left hook that got Howard’s attention.

Howard kept Green on his back foot early in the third round, but he had difficulty dealing with Green’s hand speed and combination punching. Green drilled him with a straight right with just over two minutes remaining in the third round.

Green landed two right hands within the final 10 seconds of the third round. Huggins warned Howard for hitting Green after the bell sounded to end the third round.

Green backed up Howard with a right hand about 25 seconds into the second round. A chopping right hand by Green landed about 1:15 into the second round.

A left to the body by Howard caused Green to hold with about 1:10 to go in the third round.

Green snapped back Howard’s head with a right hand 1:10 into the first round. Green connected with a right-left combination about 15 seconds later as well.

In the first fight Friday night, Rowdy Legend Montgomery got back on the winning track in violent fashion.

The super middleweight veteran viciously knocked out Martez McGregor with a right hand early in the third round of their six-round super middleweight match. Hoyle started to count, yet quickly stopped and declared Montgomery the winner at 1:10 of the third round.

Montgomery (7-3-1, 5 KOs), of Victorville, California, fought for the first time since he lost a six-round unanimous decision to Steven Pichardo in February 2020. McGregor (8-6, 6 KOs), of Maywood, Illinois, has lost five straight fights and lost by knockout for the second time in five years as a pro.

A few seconds before his knockout punch, Montgomery caught McGregor with a right uppercut that knocked him backward. Montgomery went after McGregor’s body early in the third round to set up the head shots that won him the fight.

McGregor connected with a right uppercut about 30 seconds into the second round. He landed a right hand soon thereafter that backed Montgomery into the ropes.

A right hand by Montgomery knocked McGregor off balance with about 25 seconds to go in the second round.

Montgomery landed several clean right hands in the first round, which he clearly won.

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