Jamie Conlan is the new Commonwealth super-flyweight champion after stopping Anthony Nelson in the eighth round of a thrilling contest in London last night.
Englishman Nelson failed to beat the count after Conlan, brother of amateur world champion Michael, dropped him with a left hook to the body.
This man might have the biggest heart in boxing 👊 Sensational fight - #AndTheNew CommonWealth Champ @JamieConlan11 pic.twitter.com/8ZkR5qpdfj
— BoxNation (@boxnationtv) April 30, 2016
Conlan had looked to be under severe pressure after being sent to the canvas in the seventh round but he made it to the bell before landing the decisive blow in the eighth.
The Belfast 29-year-old had also been down in the third round having already floored Nelson in the opening round.
When you watch what Conlan & Nelson done tonight it makes you realise what a great sport boxing is
— Carl Frampton MBE (@RealCFrampton) April 30, 2016
Conlan, now a winner in all 16 of his professional contests, told Box Nation afterwards: "I knew the round before, he'd had a big round and I'd kind of had a break in that. I knew I had to show something extra in the next round.
"He got a false sense of security and threw a silly shot, thinking he was going to catch me and I just timed it perfectly.
"It was something I worked on the whole way through (training) camp, to just slip him and slide it underneath. I caught him bang on the money and I knew as soon as it landed that he wasn't getting up, not a chance."
Conlan admitted that he would have been happy with a slightly less dramatic contest: "It was exciting to be in but you don't really want to be in them all the time. But it seems to be that I'm unlucky and keep being in them.
"My missus, I think, doesn't know what I look like these days. I keep coming back with two big purple eyes!"
The fighter known as 'The Mexican' said he was hopeful of landing a world-title shot this year.
"That's still the plan. I know I have to go back to the drawing board again with (trainer) Danny (Vaughan), listen to what he says to me, sit down with my team in MGM and see what direction they want to take me in.
"I'd love a defence of the Commonwealth title in Belfast and then push on."
