Gennady Golovkin retained his World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation middleweight titles with a fifth round stoppage of brave British challenger Kell Brook at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.

It was Golovkin’s 17th world middleweight title defence and reaffirmed the Kazakh’s status as the number one in the division.

His latest victory came after the corner of the previously unbeaten Brook threw in the towel.

The 34-year-old Golovkin’s win extended his unbeaten record to 36-0, with 33 by way of knockout. Golovkin’s World Boxing Association (WBA) belt was not on the line.

For Brook, the IBF world welterweight champion, there was no disgrace in losing to the man widely regarded as the world’s best boxer after he courageously stepped up two weight divisions to face Golovkin, whose rival world middleweight champions have so far refused to fight him.