BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Deontay Wilder gave his Alabama fans what they expected in his first WBC heavyweight title defense: a knockout.

It just came later than many expected, including Wilder.

Wilder successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title with a ninth-round knockout of Eric Molina on Saturday night at Bartow Arena, a short drive from his hometown.

Wilder (34-0) delivered a right hand that turned Molina around and sent him falling on his back. The referee quickly signaled that the fight was over, probably several rounds later than many observers anticipated with Wilder a heavy favorite.

"I was really surprised he kept coming and hanging in there," Wilder said. "A lot of people said he wouldn't even be around, he wouldn't last. There were a lot of doubters, but he showed a lot of heart and I needed that kind of guy to fight here in Alabama.

"A lot of people at the fight tonight were first-timers so I wanted to put on a good show. When you have a tough guy with a lot of heart in front of you, that's what you're going to get."

The 6-foot-7 Wilder was stunned by Molina (23-3), but came back to knock him down in the fourth and twice again in the fifth, practically running across the ring after him before Molina went down the third time. The Texan withstood barrages to the head in the sixth from Wilder, and then came back strong two rounds later, landing some hard body shots.

But the fight ended 1:57 into the ninth.

Wilder had become the first American heavyweight to claim a piece of the title with a Jan. 17 unanimous decision over Bermane Stiverne. That came after Wilder had recorded 32 consecutive knockouts within the first four rounds.

This one went deep, too, against Molina, whom some oddsmakers had installed as a 50-to-1 underdog. He was trying to become the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion.