Two-time Olympian featherweight Michael “Mick” Conlan (17-1, 8 KOs), outboxed three-time world title challenger Miguel Marriaga (30-6, 26 KOs) over ten rounds on Saturday night at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In his return after a brutal KO loss against WBA featherweight world champion Leigh Wood, the speedier Conlan never let power-puncher Marriaga into the fight as Marriaga spent most the night swinging at air. Conlan scored questionable knockdowns in rounds seven and eight. A legit knockdown when Marriaga’s glove touched the canvas in round nine. Marriaga finally woke up in round ten, but it was too little, too late. Scores were 99-88, 99-88, 99-89.

“I had to get rid of a lot of demons tonight,” said Conlan afterward. “Even in the fuc*ing last round, he hit me with a shot. That guy can punch. {He has} 10 more knockouts than I have fights. He hit me with a jab in the first round, and it was like, ‘Oh, this guy actually can bang.’ I had to be careful and use my skills, which I did. In the last round, he caught me with a shot. Listen, I’ve been using my legs all night. I was a bit off the pace. He was pushing it. He landed a good shot. He buckled me a little bit. I felt it, and for me, to kind of come through that and it’s the last round… I got knocked out in my last fight in the last round. I think that says a lot. I’m back, baby. I’m ready for any of them.”

“Obviously, I want Leigh Wood. It’s obvious, but Leigh has his own situation. So, hopefully he can deal with that and come through and the rematch can be done. If not, it’s any other champion. I want to get back in. I will be world champion, and I know I will. Whoever I face, I know I’ll beat him.”

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In a slugfest, hometown welterweight Tyrone McKenna (23-3-1, 6 KOs) edged out a ten round unanimous decision over Chris Jenkins (23-6-3, 8 KOs). Scores were 96-95, 96-95, 97-94. Looked like a little home-cookin’ in this one.

WBC International silver super middleweight titlist Padraig McCrory (14-0, 8 KOs) knocked out former world title challenger Marco Antonio Periban (26-6-1, 17 KOs) in round five. Mcrory dropped Periban in round two, then finished him with three knockdowns in round five. Time was 2:14.

Unbeaten welterweight Paddy “Real Deal” Donovan (9-0, 6 KOs) outscored Tom Hill (10-3, 2 KOs) over eight, 80-72.

Junior middleweight Kieran Molloy (2-0, 2 KOs) stopped Evgenii Vazem (9-36, 2 KOs) in round two. A body shot finished Vazem. Time 1:23.

Featherweight Kurt Walker (2-0, 1 KO) outpointed Marcos Gabriel Martinez (18-4, 5 KOs) 59-55.