Jose Benavidez Jr. beat up an overmatched opponent to get a much-needed victory Saturday night.

Benavidez battered Sladan Janjanin for most of their one-sided contest, dropped him twice and stopped him after the fifth round at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Showtime streamed Benavidez’s victory as part of the Emmanuel Rodriguez-Melvin Lopez undercard.

Phoenix’s Benavidez, who recorded a knockdown apiece in the third and fourth rounds, upped his record to 28-2-1 and produced his 19th knockout. Janjanin (36-16, 26 KOs), of Bosnia and Herzegovina, lost by knockout or TKO for the 11th time in 10 years as a pro.

Benavidez, 31, fought for the first time since he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Danny Garcia in a 154-pound bout last July 30 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Janjanin managed to remain on his feet during the fifth round, but his corner men threw in the towel following that round. Janjanin didn’t agree with the stoppage, but he had taken a lot of punishment, particularly to the body, during a fight that wasn’t remotely competitive.

Benavidez’s left hook to Janjanin’s body made Janjanin take a knee with 54 seconds to go in the fourth round. Janjanin again got up, yet he couldn’t keep Benavidez from battering him for the remainder of that round.

Benavidez landed several right uppercuts with about one minute remaining in the third round.

A left-right combination by Benavidez knocked Janjanin to his gloves and knees 22 seconds into the third round. Janjanin got up and tried to fight out of the trouble, but Benavidez continued to unload on him with head and body blows.

Benavidez blasted Janjanin with a hard right to his body late in the second round. Benavidez landed a left uppercut with about a minute to go in the second round.

Benavidez landed a left hook to Janjanin’s body that made him hold just before the midway mark of the first round.

Benavidez landed multiple illegal punches to the back of Janjanin’s head a few seconds later. Janjanin went down, but it didn’t count as a knockdown.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.