Féile Fight Night – LIVE UNDERCARD UPDATES
The highlight of the Irish boxing calendar rolls around tonight in Belfast.
The biggest pro show of the year will take place this evening at the Falls Park as Mick Conlan tops a major Top Rank bill as part of Féile an Phobail.
The outdoor event includes a massive ten-fight undercard with some major bouts.
Irish-Boxing.com will be ringside from first bell until last and will be providing live round-by-round updates on all the undercard bouts up until the main portion of the card – Luke Keeler v Luis Arias, Chris Jenkins v Paddy Gallagher, and Mick Conlan v Diego Ruiz.
See below for live updates.
Keep refreshing page to see live updates
6:00pm – A few internet issues but we are finally ready to go after some big action in Belfast. In the opening bout Dee Sullivan was shockingly stopped in the very first round by Mateusz Kubiszyn before Keady lightweight Sean Duffy claimed a 40-36 points win over Naveem Choudry. We are live!
6:02pm – Time for fight #2. Callum Bradley v Jose Hernandez. Four three-minute rounds at super featherweight.
Round 1 – Bradley starts fast, walking Hernandez onto shots, far busier than his previous two pro bouts.
Round 2 – More good work from Bradley who is delighting the loud paoket of Tyrone fans.
Round 3 – Bradley looking strong, peppering Hernandez but the Nicaraguan is going nowhere.
Round 4 – Fair play to Hernandez, really goes for it in the fourth and final round but Bradley is too slick to be hit with anything of note and we go to the cards.
6:21pm – 40-37 to Callum Bradley who improves to 3(0)-0. Best pro display so far.
6:31pm – Time for the first big fight of the night. Eight rounds at middleweight. Belfast’s Alfredo Meli bersus Rio Olympian Ariak Marutjan.
Round 1 – Fast start from Alfredo Meli, driving into Marutjan but the German is timing some nice right hands.
Round 2 – Marutjan sneaking in nice left hooks to the body but the activity of Meli might be impressing referee Paul McCullagh.
Round 3 – Some big single shots landed from Marutjan, one straight right hand in particular, but Meli’s activity persists.
Round 4 – Slight pause at the start of the stanza as Meli requires his laces tied. Lets out a big burp while he’s waiting, “I forgot to wind him” shouts his mother from behind us at ringside. Post-burp, the action resumes and Meli returns to Marutjan’s chest. The former top amateur’s shots are the most eye-catching but the Irishman could be stealing rounds.
Round 5 – Biggest round for either so far, Marutjan landing some heavy, heavy shots on Meli in the final minute. Big response needed.
Round 6 – Down goes Meli! Arutjan walks him onto a huge right hand that sends the Mac Man to the canvas. Meli is up and looks to fight showing great powers of recovery but his energy levels have dipped. The German is starting to take over.
Round 7 – Marutjan is slowing but has still landed the more notable shots. Meli is showing serious heart and is willing to trade on the inside. This final round could be important.
Round 8 – What a final round! Meli and Marutjan go toe-toe throughout, the German landing the better shots initially before a STRONG finish from the home favourite. We go to the card!
7:09pm – Paul McCullagh scores it 77-76 to Alfredo Meli! A few at ringside disputing that. Score breaks down as four rounds to Meli, two to Marutjan, and two drawn plus the knockdown.
7:17pm – Now, after that fantastic win for Alfredo Meli it’s time for Fight #5 – Paddy Barnes v Joel Sanchez – 6 x 3 min rounds at light flyweight.
Round 1 – Sanchez is game and tears into Barnes from the start but the Belfast boxer sinks in some nice shots and pops off combinations in the face of this aggression before a clash of heads leaves a cut to the side of his right eye.
Round 2 – Another good round, Barnes being made to work by the energetic Sanchez.
Round 3 – Better round for Barnes, starting to let his hands go and slashing in some very nice hooks to the body.
Round 4 – Quiet in the fourth, Barnes’s boxing edging it for him.
Round 5 – Barnes turning the screw in the penultimate stanza and has Sanchez in a spot of bother with a series of combinations but we go to the sixth.
Round 6 – Sanchez is down at the start of the final round but it’s ruled a slip. Barnes pushing hard, the crowd roaring him on, the first real bit of atmosphere but the Nicaraguan survives.
7:46pm – 60-55 to Paddy Barnes who improves to 6(1)-2(1).
8:00pm – We are live on BT Sport and it’s time for the big domestic bout on the bill – Steve Collins Jr v Padraig McCrory for the BUI Celtic super middleweight title.
Round 1 – Fast start from Collins pressuring McCrory from the off. ‘The Hammer’ is taking his time, sizing Collins up, and lands one big right hand in an intriguing opener.
Round 2 – McCrory sinking in some lovely shots to the body while Collins is having success with clipping right hands upstairs. Even enough fight, McCrory shading it.
Round 3 – Another even round, Collins’s timing is improving but McCrory is the busier fighter.
Round 4 – Very good session for Collins who is starting to land the better shots and is walking McCrory down, goading him.
Round 5 – Massive bodywork from McCrory in the fifth, sapping Collins. The Castleknock puncher is busy, but the snap doesn’t seem to be there anymore.
Round 6 – McCrory is landing some heavy shots on the tired Collins who needs to do something to turn this around the final two rounds.
Round 7 – Slugfest here. McCrory, into the seventh for the first time, is tiring and he trades with Collins throughout. It’s frantic, it’s sloppy, it’s exciting.
Round 8 – Huge right hand from McCrory has Collins out on his feet at the start of the final round and he doesn’t let him off the hook, pinning ‘The Wolfhound’ to the ropes and forcing David Irving to jump in. TKO MCCRORY!
8:42pm – What a finish that was from McCrory who moves to 9(4)-0 and picks up the BUI Celtic title. Great start to the broadcast.
8:48pm – Sean McComb up now versus Renald Garrido and it’s an absolutely brilliant intro for the Public Nuisance.
Round 1 – Fantastic first round from Sean McComb. Fast hands, beautiful bodyshots, absolutely dominates Garrido.
Round 2 – Garrido pushing but McComb is knocking him back with volleys of straight shots upstairs.
Round 3 – Masterclass so far from McComb. Garrido can’t get near him.
Round 4 – Garrido closing the distance a bit more here and a clash of heads opens a cut to the outside of McComb’s right eye but the Turf Lodge southpaw still well on top.
Round 5 – McComb continues to dance as Garrido pours forward continuously. He’s well up but we’ll see what McComb is made of in these next three rounds.
Round 6 – McComb tees off on the ultimate hardman Garrido. Exhibition stuff here, some lovely skimming bodyshots.
Round 7 – On his toes, McComb continues to turn the screw and is really dominating as we enter the final round.
Round 8 – Great finish. Garrido finally gets through with some right hands and McComb responds wit his own flurries before a show of respect at the bell.
9:26pm – 79-73 to Sean McComb! What a performance from the Belfast boxer who improves to 8(4)-0.
9:27pm – Now time for Luke Keeler v Luis Arias, perhaps the biggest fight of the night for which we will have an on-the-bell report.
