By Luke Furman

WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (23-0-1, 21KOs) explained that he wanted to punish and knock Ismayl Sillakh (21-2) out. He got his wish on Saturday at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City.

Kovalev knocked him down hard in the second round and taunted him while he was laying on the mat. After Sillakh made it up, Kovalev followed up with a combination that momentarily put Sillakh to sleep.

Kovalev says he was very aggressive because Sillakh had talked bad about him in the past.

"I told him that I was going to knock him out. I certainly had the desire to punish him. What happened was, after our paths crossed he began saying derogatory things about me. I didn't like that and I decided to put him in his place," Kovalev said.

Kovalev now wants a unification with WBC champion Adonis Stevenson, who knocked out Tony Bellew on the same card in the main event.

"I want Adonis Stevenson next. He tries to talk [his way out of the fight], by referring to the fact that he defeated world champions and I am not worthy enough to fight him. Everyone knows that I've been in the ring with same type of opponents as him and I beat them," said Kovalev.

Luke Furman covers boxing for bokser.org