Judge Mikael Hook scored the bout 119-108, while Manuel Oliver Palomo had it 118-109. Enrico Licini had it slightly closer at 116-111. Catterall is now 3-0 since moving up to welterweight.

The win positions Catterall (33-2, 14 KOs) to face Rolando “Rolly” Romero, who is the WBA 147-pound champion. The sanctioning body ruled earlier this week that Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) must defend his belt against the winner within 180 days of Saturday.

“I could beat any of these champions at 147,” Catterall said. “I believe in myself. I knew what [Giyasov] was about. We’ve been watching him fight. A lot of Shakhram, but I wasn’t going to be denied tonight … Sometimes I get into the matrix and I take them and I like solving a puzzle. I felt comfortable in there tonight.”

The fireworks began in the opening round. Around the midway point of the first round, Catterall dropped the previously unbeaten Giyasov (17-1, 10 KOs) with a straight left hand right between his guard. Giyasov rose on unsteady legs, but managed to survive despite eating a few more left hands from the cagey English southpaw in the remainder of the round.

The knockdown set the tone for Catterall, The Ring’s No. 10-ranked welterweight, as he settled into a groove and continuously connected with his straight left hand. His speed advantage was also evident as he landed to the body and got out of range before Giyasov could connect with anything. The English southpaw also hurt Giyasov to the body in the third round with a left hand, sending the 2016 Olympic silver medalist from Uzbekistan retreating to the ropes with his right elbow glued to his ribcage.

Giyasov, The Ring’s No. 7-ranked welterweight, struggled to get into the fight early. He connected with a looping right hand that knocked Catterall off balance first round, but couldn’t top that moment or find any momentum.

Giyasov, 32, began to work his way back into the fight in the fourth round, becoming much more aggressive and fighting on the front foot. The momentum was short-lived, as Catterall fought much better off his back foot and connected with eye-catching left hands.

Catterall, 32, seemingly couldn’t miss with his straight left hand to start the sixth round, as he connected with a barrage of them in the first minute that bloodied Giyasov’s nose. He rocked Giyasov again in the final 10 seconds of the seventh round with a looping left hand.

The fight fell into a pattern for much of the final five rounds, as Catterall outboxed and peppered Giyasov with jabs and left hands to earn his most impressive win at welterweight.