MARSEILLE, France (AP) Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck defended his WBA cruiserweight title by stopping Canada's Dale Brown with a technical knockout in the eighth round Saturday.

Making his first title defense, Mormeck (28-2) pinned Brown against the ropes. After Brown (25-3-1) could no longer put up a defense, the referee stopped the fight with seconds to go in the round.

In other action, Panama's Santiago Samaniego took the WBC super welterweight title by defeating Frenchman Mamadou Thiam, whose coaching staff threw in the towel in the 12th and final round.

Mormeck took the title in February when the defending champion, American Virgil Hill, pulled out of their fight in Marseille after eight rounds. For Saturday's fight, the Frenchman entered the ring wearing the Indian headdress Hill had given him after their bout.

After a few sluggish early rounds, the action picked up in the fourth when Mormeck landed a hard right cross and delivered several body blows.

A cut opened on Brown's left cheek in the seventh, and he staggered after a hard punch near the end of the round.

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