MARC MCCULLOUGH WON the WBO European featherweight title last night — and cemented his claim as one of Irish boxing’s rising stars.
McCullough, 24, was bloodied and bruised after going 10 rounds against the unbeaten Martin Parlagi last night.
But when the final bell sounded in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall, he was the unanimous winner on the judges’ cards.
Both men were knocked down — Slovakia’s Parlagi in the second round, and McCullough in the fourth — and the Belfast fighter came off worst after a clash of heads left him with a cut nose.
McCullough’s gutsy win was hailed as a “coming of age performance” by world title contender Carl Frampton.
“[He] showed a massive set of balls to get the win,” Frampton tweeted last night.
Two-time Olympic medallist Paddy Barnes said: “He really dug deep and deserved that win! Delighted for him.”
In the co-headline bout, Jamie Conlan knocked out Hungary’s Gabor Molnar in the third round to defend his WBO European super-flyweight title.
There were also wins for Conrad Cummings (TKO2) and Willie “Big Bang” Casey (Pts) earlier in the evening.
You can watch the full card below. Mobile users, click here.
