Frank Martin found the punch he needed in the seventh round, dropping and stopping Tarik Zaina to win the vacant NABO light welterweight title on Saturday’s Emanuel Navarrete–O’Shaquie Foster undercard. The finish rescued an uneven performance in which Martin struggled to take control against his taller opponent.

Martin improved to 20-1-1 with 14 knockouts, while Zaina fell to 18-4-1 with 12 knockouts. It was the first stoppage defeat of Zaina’s professional career and gave Martin a victory following his February draw with Nahir Albright.

The early rounds offered little indication that Martin would finish the fight so abruptly. He looked cautious about closing the distance, giving Zaina time to work from outside and make use of his height. Martin had openings but wasn’t consistently putting enough punches together to keep his opponent occupied.

Zaina’s third round showed the risk of allowing him that freedom. He connected with a couple of solid power shots and continued to make the fight awkward with his reach. Martin remained competitive, but he wasn’t producing the sustained offense expected from a heavy favorite in a rebuilding fight.

Through five rounds, there was still little separating them. Zaina hadn’t overwhelmed Martin, yet he had done enough to prevent the former lightweight contender from settling into control. Martin needed to find a way past the long-range tactics rather than let the remaining rounds follow the same pattern.

The answer arrived in the seventh when Zaina became too ambitious coming forward. Martin stepped back and connected with a hard left hand, sending him to the canvas. Zaina got up, but Martin immediately followed with punches, forcing the referee to intervene.

Martin’s timing and finishing ability ultimately settled a fight that had required more patience than expected. The stoppage gives him something to build on at 140 pounds, although the difficult opening rounds leave room for improvement against stronger opposition.