Neilstown boxer Bernard Dunne was said to be distraught after losing his WBA super-bantamweight title to Thai Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym at the O2 Arena in Dublin on Saturday night.
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The Irishman, 29, was floored three times in the third and needed medical attention in the ring after being knocked down.
The referee stopped the title fight, bringing Dunne's short reign as WBA champion to an end.
The fight was held in the same arena where Dunne had dramatically secured the title against Ricardo Cordoba in March.
Dunne had reportedly undergone intensive training ahead of his first title defense, under the watchful eye of Belfast-based trainer Harry Hawkins.
He had vowed to dedicate a successful bid to the late Irish boxer Darren Sutherland, who was laid to rest earlier this week.
© UTV News