TJ Doheny punched his way back into the win column.

The former IBF junior featherweight titlist ended a two-fight skid with a statement-making second-round knockout of faded former contender Cesar Juarez. Doheny floored Mexico City’s Juarez early in round two, battering him for the rest of the frame before referee Shehzad Janab stopped the contest at 2:23 of the second round Saturday at Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Both fighters entered their featherweight bout in a must-win situation, even with Juarez riding a modest two-fight win streak. Doheny has suffered all three career defeats in his last four fights, including a twelve-round loss in a brave showing versus Michael Conlan last August in Belfast. The Australia-based Irishman was in control throughout the brief affair with Juarez, who came out swinging wildly and whose reflexes are clearly gone.

A punishing body attack by Doheny slowed Juarez to a crawl, leaving the Mexican to plod forward in round two. Doheny clipped Juarez with an uppercut and right hook, followed by a left cross to produce the bout’s lone knockdown. Juarez made it to his feet but never quite regained his legs as he fell to the canvas twice more. Neither sequence was ruled a knockdown but the latter instance was enough to convince the referee that Juarez (27-11, 20KOs) no longer possessed the capability to defend himself.

The win advances Doheny’s record to 24-3 (17KOs), his first victory since the pandemic. The 35-year-old Irish southpaw last saw his arm raised in a fifth-round stoppage of Jesus Martinez in October 2019, one fight after coming up just short in a Fight of the Year-level majority decision defeat to Daniel Roman in their April 2019 WBA/IBF junior featherweight title unification bout.

Also on the Fubo Sports Network telecast, Peter McGrail (3-0, 2KOs)—a member of the Great Britain Olympic team that competed in Tokyo last summer—stopped Romania's Alexandru Ionita (7-11-1, 5KOs) after two rounds in their featherweight battle. McGrail battered Ionita for two straight rounds until the referee was informed to stop the contest prior to the start of round three.

Headlining the show, London-based IBF flyweight titlist Sunny Edwards (17-0, 4KOs) attempts his second defense versus former title challenger Muhammad Waseem (12-1, 8KOs) of Quetta, Pakistan.

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