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Super Middleweight, Bika & Manfredo

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island: Sakio Bika of Australia captured the vacant International Boxing Organization super middleweight title by stopping Peter Manfredo, Jr. of the United States in the third round on Thursday.

The 29-year-old Bika (27-3-2, 17 knockouts) dropped the 27-year-old Manfredo with a straight right hand early in the third round. Manfredo got up and Bika resumed his attack. He wobbled Manfredo with a right uppercut, then drilled him with another right hand, almost sending Manfredo through the ropes. Referee Ricky Gonzalez stopped the fight 1 minute, 50 seconds into the round.

In the second round, Bika landed a right hand and was tripped as Manfredo fell. Gonzalez awarded the knockdown to Manfredo, giving Bika the mandatory eight-count.

Bika is the IBF Pan Pacific super middleweight champion and was a member of Cameroon's 2000 Olympic team.

"I feel very happy," Bika said. "I thank God for the opportunity to fight for the IBO title. Next I want Bernard Hopkins."

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Hopkins, a former middleweight and light heavyweight world champion, defeated Ring Magazine's middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in a non-title bout this month.

Manfredo dropped to 31-6 (16 knockouts). He was the interim North American Boxing Federation champion and was ranked 13th by the WBC.

"He was just so strong," Manfredo said. "His punches were wide, but so strong. I tried to roll and catch him between punches, but I couldn't do it."

Bika was the champion of the third season of the reality television series, "The Contender." Manfredo was the runner-up in the first season, losing to Sergio Mora in the finals. In April 2007, Manfredo challenged Joe Calzaghe for the WBO super middleweight title and he was stopped in the fourth round.