Mark Chamberlain handed Pierce O'Leary his first professional defeat, stunning the Republic of Ireland fighter with a knockout win in the 10th round to claim the IBO light-welterweight belt. The Briton dropped O'Leary twice and then finished the contest late in front of a capacity crowd in Dublin.
Chamberlain also had to climb off the canvas in the seventh round after O'Leary landed a ferocious body shot, but he recovered and survived before closing strongly in the championship rounds. The Portsmouth boxer now moves to 18 wins with one defeat and bounced back to winning ways for the first time since losing to Josh Padley in 2024.
This was Chamberlain's first fight since he drew with Jack Rafferty in Altrincham last summer. The bout began with a tight and cagey first round before Chamberlain shocked the home crowd of around 7,000 by landing a flush left hand that sent O'Leary flying back onto the canvas.
Chamberlain then found another big shot in the next round, dropping his opponent again with a short left hook. O'Leary responded well to the knockdowns, however, and rallied with the support of the home crowd as he pressed on to find a way back into the fight.
Momentum appeared to be moving towards O'Leary when he found a breakthrough at the end of the seventh round, backing Chamberlain into a corner and landing a punishing shot into his chest. Chamberlain was slow to rise but survived the count and avoided major punishment before the bell sounded.
O'Leary continued to press forward in the later rounds, with Chamberlain looking tired and the Irishman buoyed by the crowd. But Chamberlain struck decisively in the 10th, opening up with a combination that caused O'Leary to drop his hands before landing a series of clean shots, including a straight right hand that sent him tumbling into the ropes and down to the canvas.
How did Royston Barney-Smith perform in the chief support?
Royston Barney-Smith moved to 17-0 after beating Reece Bellotti in the chief support. The British and Commonwealth super-featherweight champion outclassed Bellotti over 10 rounds to win the vacant IBO intercontinental belt.
Bellotti took the fight to Barney-Smith, stalking down the southpaw and at times enjoying success as he forced him on to the ropes and unloaded with dangerously intentioned shots. But for most of the fight, Barney-Smith boxed smartly off the back foot, picking Bellotti apart with a range of punches and using clever footwork to blunt a number of aggressive surges.
The victory keeps Barney-Smith unbeaten after 17 professional wins since turning professional in 2022.
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