Bektemir Melikuziev's latest knockout is a painful reminder of how devastating body shots can be

• Bektemir Melikuziev launched a seemingly unstoppable knockout body shot in his fight Saturday.
• Punches like the ones Bek 'The Bully' threw are a reminder of how painful boxing can be.

LOS ANGELES — Resurging light heavyweight boxer Bektemir Melikuziev obliterated a 41-fight veteran David Zegarra with a single shot to the body Saturday at the Golden Boy Promotions event that was broadcast on DAZN.

A World Amateur Championship and Olympic silver medalist, Melikuziev entered the pro boxing game in 2019 with great acclaim but came unstuck when teak-tough Philadelphian fighter Gabriel Rosado knocked him out in the third round of a 2021 bout.

The Uzbek climbed back up the rankings by outpointing Sergei Ekimov in his home country at the end of the year, and upon his return to the US this week, won in style with a punch that looked hideously painful.

Footage shows the precise shot that did the damage — a left hand that Bek 'The Bully' lasered into Zegarra's midsection.

It is yet another brutal reminder for how devastatingly painful body shots can be.

Shots like the one Melikuziev threw can end a fight in an instant, as they make the victims simply writhe around on the floor.

Or, in Zegarra's case, remain on one knee with all the fight beaten out of him.

"Everything feels good and this went like I expected it to go," said Melikuziev after the fight, in a statement sent to Insider.

He added that he is now targeting one thing and one thing only: "The only thing on my mind is a re-match with Gabe Rosado."

Watch Melikuziev's finish right here:

With victory, Melikuziev advanced his pro boxing record to nine wins (seven knockouts) against one loss.

Earlier in the evening, American puncher Alex Rincon destroyed middleweight opponent Luis Sanchez before appearing to collapse after the win.

Emerging star prospect Miguel Gaona stole the show with a blistering 30-second knockout win over super lightweight opponent Gilberto Aguilar near the start of the card.

Ramla Ali bulldozed through Shelly Barnett, Dalis Kaleiopu beat Manuel Lara late in the fourth round by knockout, John Ramirez overcame Roberto Pucheta after six rounds by decision, and Alejandro Reyes, who Insider profiled earlier this week after speaking to the youngster and his coach Jose Saucedo, earned the seventh win of his career by defeating Daniel Evangelista Jr.

The Golden Boy event on DAZN was topped by a main event featuring charismatic welterweight Blair Cobbs and emerging rival Alexis Rocha.

Knockout puncher Vergil Ortiz Jr. was due to headline the show but spent Monday night in hospital because of rhabdomyolysis.

In a statement upon the start of his recovery, Ortiz said "things could have been worse."