WBA "regular" super bantamweight champion Scott Quigg and potential challenger Nonito Donaire both registered second round knockouts on Saturday to pave the way for a possible matchup.
Quigg (31-0-2, 23 KOs) knocked down his Spanish opponent Kiko Martinez (32-6, 24 KOs) three times in the second round that led to a referee stoppage and his fifthe defense of his title.
The 26-year-old Quigg connected with a right uppercut that buckled Martinez's knees before unleashing a barrage of hooks to send the ex-IBF champion to the canvas.
Martinez rose from the knock down but the Quigg ripped him with a looping right hand on the chin that sent him down again.
The Spaniard returned to his feet but referee Terry O'Connor did not allow him to continue.
On the other hand, Donaire Jr knocked down Frenchman Anthony Settoul three times the latter's corner threw in the towel for a knockout win at 1:41 of the second round at the Venetian Resort in Macau, China.
The 32-year-old Donaire (35-3, 23 knockouts) dropped the overmatched Settoul (20-4, 8 KOs) twice in the first round,
the first with a left uppercut that resulted in a delayed reaction knockdown. The second knockdown was then caused by left hook to the body.
A minute into the second round, Settoul, a former European champion, tasted another knockdown courtesy of Donaire's overhand right.
Quigg has been projected to face Donaire, a 4-division champion, who moved down to 122 pounds after losing his WBA featherweight title to Nicholas Walters last October in his first career knockout loss.
The proposed fight may be held in November at Dubai.
Promoter Eddie Hearn is also looking into a world title unification clash with IBF champion Carl Frampton in what is being dubbed a "Battle of Britain".
But Hearn the mouth-watering secnario is a win over Donaire, a former pound-for-pound star, which could help prmote Quigg before a global audience.