VINCENT Astrolabio’s impressive run in the deep bantamweight division continues after a sixth-round knockout of No. 3 ranked Nikolai Potapov in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title eliminator on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 (PH time), at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Filipino fighter came into the fight with huge confidence after a unanimous decision upset win over Cuban star Guillermo Rigondeaux earlier this year.

He immediately displayed his confidence by dropping Potapov in the opening round with a grazing left hook.

The 25-year-old Astrolabio sent the tough Potapov on one knee with a left hook in the fifth round for his second knockdown.

After landing some vicious punches, Astrolabio connected with a solid right hook that sent Potapov on his knees. Potapov didn’t bother to stand up and was counted out by referee Robert Hoyle in the 1:26 mark of the sixth.

Astrolabio, the No. 6 ranked bantamweight by the IBF, won his sixth straight fight and improved to 18-3 with 16 knockouts, while the 32-year-old Potapov fell to 23-3-1 with 11 knockouts.

Astrolabio is now the mandatory challenger of the IBF bantamweight that is currently around the waist of undisputed bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue.