LAS VEGAS, Dec 12: Vitali Klitschko successfully defended is World Boxing Council heavyweight crown here on Saturday, stopping Britain's Danny Williams at 1:26 of the eighth round of their scheduled 12-round fight.

Klitschko dominated from the opening bell, knocking Williams down three times, including once in both the first and third rounds. Ukrainian Klitschko battered Williams in the final round, finishing him off with a left-right combination that sent the challenger sailing backwards through the air.

It was a savage beating as Williams fought with a cut under his right eye from the second round. Williams took an enourmous amount of punishment but refused to quit.

Klitschko improved to 35-2 with his 34th early stoppage while Williams dropped to 33-3. Klitschko made the first defence of the title he won by stopping South Africa's Corrie Sanders in the eighth round of their bout in April.

With his victory, Klitschko solidified his status as the premier champion in the heavyweight division. The combined weight of the two fighters, 520 pounds (236 kg), was a record for a world title fight, beating the 504 1/2 of Klitschko and Britain's Lennox Lewis on June 21, 2003. Klitschko weighed in at 250 pounds while Williams weighed in at 270 pounds. -AFP