Christian Mbilli delivered the statement he sought to make in his latest in-ring performance.

A dominant performance was provided by France’s Mbilli, a 2016 Olympic quarterfinalist and current super middleweight contender who overwhelmed Toledo’s DeAndre Ware. The last of three knockdowns provided an immediate stoppage at 2:20 of round two in their ESPN+ aired main event Friday evening from Montreal Casino in Montreal, Canada.

The bout was suggested to be the toughest test to date for Mbilli. Ware was stopped before but never dominated right out the gate as was the case on Friday. Both boxers looked to establish their power early in the contest, simultaneously throwing left hooks. Mbilli’s was the far more telling blow, sending Ware to the canvas barely a minute into the contest.

Ware beat the count but his night would never get better. Mbilli continued to apply pressure, rocking the American with a right hand near the end of the opening round.

Mbilli mixed up his attack in round two, working the body and then bringing his power shots back upstairs. A left hook to the body froze Ware along the ropes, with a chopping right hand to the temple sending him to the canvas midway through the second round. The 34-year-old trialhorse beat the count but was unable to keep Mbilli at bay.

A final right hand upstairs had Ware back on the canvas, this time prompting referee Alain Villeneuve to halt the contest.

Ware falls to 15-4-2 (9KOs), having now suffered three knockout defeats in his last five starts. A modest two-fight win streak preceded his first fight in Canada and just second overall outside the U.S.

Mbilli sails to 22-0 (20KOs) with the win, his second straight inside the distance and both coming at this location since signing with Camille Estephan’s Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM). The 27-year-old Cameroon-born knockout artist has now stopped seven of his last eight opponents, including four within the past 12 months.

Two regional titles were collected with the win, as Mbilli hopes to advance in the super middleweight rankings.

A title shot could be tough to come by as Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (57-2-2, 39KOs) owns all four major titles, three of which have established mandatory challengers awaiting a crack at the sport’s biggest box-office attraction. With a new output deal between EOTTM and ESPN+, there is at least a platform for Mbilli to remain active while waiting out a crack at the division’s top prize.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox