Terrazas vs Santa Cruz results: Leo Santa Cruz stops Victor Terrazas in three to win second world title

Victor Terrazas came to fight tonight, but maybe he shouldn't have. Terrazas was outgunned by Leo Santa Cruz, who threw 267 punches in two and a half rounds to stop the defending WBC super bantamweight titleholder by stoppage, busting up Terrazas' eye and putting him on the canvas twice.

Santa Cruz (25-0-1, 15 KO) was his usual punch machine self, obviously, and Terrazas (37-3-1, 21 KO) didn't back down from the fight, in part because, perhaps, he really had no choice but to stand and fight with a guy who just doesn't stop coming forward, throwing punches.

"He's a great fighter, a warrior," said Santa Cruz to Showtime's Jim Gray. "If the fight was going to get tough, it was in the later rounds. I had to finish him fast."

Terrazas' right eye was smashed in the second round, a mouse quickly swelling up and nearly closing his eye. In the third round, Santa Cruz continued to rain down punishment, and Terrazas hit the canvas at about 1:20 of the frame. Not long after, it was over, as Terrazas took a knee under major pressure, then told referee Dr. Lou Moret that he couldn't see out of his eye, which made the stoppage mandatory.

It was a hell of a performance from Santa Cruz, and if there were any doubts remaining going into tonight -- any at all -- at least some of them have to be set aside now. This was a good, quality fighter at 122, and Santa Cruz smashed him like he was Eric Morel or Victor Zaleta.

Our live coverage continues, with the Mares-Gonzalez main event up next.