Frank Sanchez sent a statement out to the rest of the heavyweight division after a memorable knockout victory over Richard Torrez Jr.

The two men were squaring off at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt in a final eliminator for the IBF heavyweight title, so there was a big opportunity available to the victor of the bout.

Sanchez was competing for the first time since February 2025, while Torrez was unbeaten and tipped for big things in the division, but it transpired that activity wasn’t a key factor once the fight began.

It took Sanchez less than two rounds to secure the impressive win, knocking out Torrez with a big uppercut to hand the American the first loss of his career.

Sanchez will now move into the number one spot with the IBF, and speaking in his post-fight interview he threw his hat into the ring for a future showdown with unified heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.

“Usyk we’re ready for you whenever you want. I knew Torrez was a pressure fighter but I know I’m a great boxer. I stayed with the plan. I was working with my trainer a lot and he kept telling me to throw the uppercut. That’s what came through.”

The IBF are set to be last in the rotation to call upon their mandatory to face Usyk, with the WBC and WBA both ahead in the queue, so Sanchez may soon decide to call out a different fighter to help prepare for a future shot at the Ukrainian.