Carl Froch had no trouble today in Nottingham, dominating Yusaf Mack even more than most had expected, stopping the Philadelphia fighter in the third round on a body shot knockout.

Froch (30-2, 22 KO) dropped Mack (31-5-2, 17 KO) in the first round, and hurt him again near the end of the second. It was never really a contest, though Mack had a moment or two in the second frame, and in the third round, Froch finished it off with an aggressive push capped off by body shots that put Mack on the canvas for good.

The 35-year-old Froch successfully defended his IBF super middleweight title with this win, and now is expected to face Lucian Bute in a rematch in spring 2013, contractually obligated to take place in Montreal. If Bute balks on the rematch, then a rematch with Mikkel Kessler might be possible, or even Andre Ward.

"I don't feel there's one super middleweight on the planet, Andre Ward included, who could beat him in Nottingham," said promoter Eddie Hearn after the fight, noting that rematches with Bute, Kessler, and Ward are their target.