Photo courtesy of Premier Boxing Champions.

Carl Frampton was “absolutely gutted” after Ireland’s Paddy Barnes was upset by Spain’s Samuel Carmona Heredia on Monday in the Olympic Games in Rio.

Barnes, 29, lost a split decision and also his bid for a third Olympic medal after winning a pair of bronzes in Beijing and London. Northern Ireland’s Frampton, who recently captured a featherweight title against Leo Santa Cruz in Brooklyn, expressed his reactions on social media for his fellow Belfast denizen.

“Absolutely gutted for my mate,” Frampton wrote on Twitter. “I know how much he wanted that and how much he’s put in to these Olympics. Sill a hero.” Frampton blamed Barnes’ apparent struggles to make the light flyweight limit as one of the reasons for the surprising loss.

“It’s clear to see that making 49kg hurt Paddy but he still won that fight in my eyes,” he wrote. “He gave everything. Devastated.”  Frampton then got into a war of words with a detractor who said he was happy that Barnes lost. “Then you’re a (expletive),” Frampton shot back on Twitter. “3 time Olympian, 2 time medalist. What have you done with your life? Catch a grip”.

Barnes was even with Heredia, 20, after two rounds but came up short in the final synopsis, losing by scores of 29-28, 28-29, 28-29. Barnes’ comments afterward gave credence to Frampton’s theory that he struggled to shed pounds for the fight. “It was so hard making the weight,” Barnes said, according to BBC online. “I just made the weight this morning. About six weeks ago, I was 58 kilos and now I’m down to 49. Halfway through the first round, I felt so tired. This weight category is not for me. I need to move up. The fight could have gone either way but I’m actually glad he got it because there is no way I could have had the energy to fight another fight at this weight.”

Barnes suggested he will likely turn pro after his upset loss, joining Frampton in the paid ranks when he said: “I don’t know about another Olympics but you will still see Paddy Barnes in the ring.”