It wasn’t the most scintillating of fights, but it’s still party time in Belfast.

Performing for the first time as a professional in his home city, former amateur star Michael Conlan scored an eight-round decision over former world title challenger Adeilson Dos Santos at the Odyssey Arena. Referee Phil Edwards was the lone scorer and handed the local hero the verdict 79-73.

Conlan (8-0, 5 knockouts) applied some effective switch hitting early on and that plus superb hand speed kept him a step ahead from start to finish. However, the 26-year-old boxer-puncher did acknowledge that the pressure of a homecoming event plus the Brazilian hitter’s pro experience took a toll on him.

“It was a bit daunting, fighting back in Belfast, but that was my first proper fight and I was feeling it in there,” said Conlan in his post-fight interview.

“I was happy with the performance, but I’ve still got a lot to learn and I’m definitely not the finished article. I made some mistakes in there tonight, but that’s all about learning and I am happy to get the win in front of the Belfast fans. There are no fans like them in the world.”

Earlier this week, Conlan told THE RING that he would be aiming to take on the best featherweights in the world in 2019.

Undercard

In a clash of unbeaten southpaws, Jack Catterall scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Tyrone McKenna at junior welterweight. Despite being six inches shorter at 5-foot-7, Catterall (22-0, 12 KOs) worked his way into range effectively and score the heavier blows. He decked McKenna twice in the second and once in the fifth, although the first knockdown was countered by a point deduction when Catterall tagged McKenna when he was down. The official scores were 95-91 and 94-93 twice.

In another all-southpaw attraction at junior lightweight, Belfast’s Jono Carroll was awarded a knockdown in the third before forcing a ninth-round stoppage over Declan Geraghty. The bout was scheduled for 12. Carroll (16-0, 3 KOs) is an aggressive pressure-fighter who swallowed up the taller fighter’s time and distance throughout. The official time of the referee’s intervention was 2:12.

Tom Gray is Associate Editor for THE RING. Follow him on Twitter: @Tom_Gray_Boxing

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