Noel Mikaelyan made the most of his first world title opportunity in empathic fashion, stopping former world champion Ilunga Makabu with a third-round technical knockout victory to claim the vacant WBC cruiserweight crown.

Mikaelyan (27-2, 12 KOs) knocked down Makabu (29-4, 25 KOs) in the second round and sensationally ended matters in the third with a crushing six-punch combination that dropped Makabu again to cap off the punishing performance.

Referee Gene Del Bianco called a stop to the action at the one-minute mark of the third round after deciding that the staggering Makabu was unfit to continue fighting.

A dazed Makabu appeared to indicate to Del Bianco that he was walking to a neutral corner after getting up from the canvas, but the fight was already waved off. 

The cruiserweight contest headlined a pay-per-view event promoted by Don King on Saturday night on FITE TV at the Casino Miami Jai Alai in Miami, Florida.

Mikaelyan – a 33-year-old Armenian – dropped Makabu with a double right hand with a minute to go in the second round. Mikaelyan pressed on the gas and unleashed a furious barrage of unanswered blows trying to end the fight, but Makabu survived. 

“I'm very happy with the result of the fight. I didn’t expect the knockout so early, but I knew my hand would be raised at the end of the night," Mikaelyan said after the fight. "I waited so long for this night ... I didn't want to leave any doubts ... I'm a champion baby." 

The ringside physician examined Makabu before the beginning of the third round, but Mikaelyan made sure to end matters on his own terms soon after. 

The first round was exclusively a feeling-out frame, as both fighters cautiously tried to find their range without landing anything significant. 

It was evident from the beginning that the longer and leaner Mikaelyan had plenty of pep in his step, and Makabu – who arrived in America from South Africa just before the Friday weigh-in – looked stiff. 

Mikaelyan was coming off a February 2022 unanimous decision win over Youri Kalenga in Latvia. The win made the Pedro Diaz-trained Mikaelyan a mandatory challenger for the title Makabu owned at the time, but Mikaelyan stepped aside to allow for Makabu's voluntary title defense against Badou Jack in February. 

The fight was an unfruitful one for Makabu, as he was dropped twice by Jack before suffering a 12th-round stoppage loss. Afterward, Jack opted not to face Mikaelyan and instead vacated the title.

Mikaelyan’s victory against Makabu was by far the best of his 12-year career. 

Mikaelyan was arguably robbed of a 2018 win against Mairis Briedis during the kickoff of the second season of the World Boxing Super Series. 

The Miami-based Mikaelyan has mostly fought in Germany throughout his career, and he now joins a cruiserweight cast of champions from around the world. 

The division's other crownholders include Mikaelyan’s countryman in WBA champion Arsen Goulamirian (Armenia), IBF titlist Jai Opetaia (Australia), and WBO belt holder Chris Billam-Smith (United Kingdom).

The cruiserweight class has lost its luster in recent years after former undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk vacated his titles in 2019 for a run at the heavyweight division.

Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez might be inclined to inject some new life into the division in 2024, however. 

The Mexican star has long desired to fight for a cruiserweight title in order to become a five-division champion. 

In 2021, the WBC approved Alvarez's request to challenge Makabu for the title he owned at the time, but a fight never came to fruition. 

The Congolese southpaw Makabu first won the WBC title in January 2020 in a unanimous decision victory against Michal Cieslak. The 35-year-old made two title defenses against Olanrewaju Durodola and Thabiso Mchunu before losing to Jack.

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.