Slick Sean McComb outclasses Ozgul

Sean McComb tonight registered the latest impressive win of his pro career.

The Belfast southpaw put in a classy performance to defeat tough Turk Siar Ozgul.

McComb was in action behind-closed-doors at the Production Park Studios in Wakefield and went the full ten round distance for the first time, overcoming some adversity but being largely dominant.

Chief support to Jono Carroll’s clash with Maxi Hughes, ‘The Public Nuisance’ had Ozgul in all sorts of bother early on and had more than enough control as his experienced opponent upped the pressure in the second half.

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The COVID crisis saw McComb’s move to lightweight – and a fight with Welshman Craig Evans – delayed. Remaining at light welter for one more bout, regular sparring partner Ozgul was the test.

While he had lost four of his last five, Ozgul had mixed with some top talent. The London-based fighter had gone the ten round distance with former world champion Viktor Postol, former world title challenger Anthony Yigit, Samuel Antwi, and was also stopped in the final round by Mikey Sakyi.

Prior to his jump in levels, Ozgul had been BBBoC Southern Area champion and represented a very sold fight for McComb who had rattled off some good wins in recent times over Renald Garrido, Emiliano Rodriguez, and Mauro Godoy.

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The Turf Lodge stylist danced to the ring to Bird is the Word in his own inimitable style. The moves weren’t great but once the bell rang there were some tidier movements from McComb who repeatedly tagged Ozgul from the outside, catching him off balance at one point and briefly staggering him.

You don’t see this everyday 😂 Sean McComb walked to the ring doing the chicken dance 🐓

Stream #CarrollHughes right now on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/L0KwKza0zV

— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) August 12, 2020

Ozgul finished the first aggressively and attempted to pressure McComb into round two but the Irishman was too quick. A left uppercut to the body stung Ozgul and McComb’s straight shots upstairs were consistently piercing the guard.

Rough tactics from Ozgul in the third paid little dividends as McComb continued landing volleys of shots – one right hook in particular wobbling his foe.

The third wasn’t without worry, though, with a cut opening up on the outside of the Ulsterman’s right eye following a rubbing of heads.

Emboldened, Ozgul flew out at the start of the fourth but McComb soon reasserted control. While the gap was closing between the pair, the Holy Trinity graduate was still landing the vast majority of clean shots – although Ozgul was getting through with some scruffier attempts.

Planting his feet, McComb targeted the body in round five with some meaty hooks but Ozgul continued to march forward unabashed.

As we entered the second half, things began to open up and McComb’s shots looked to be doing real damage for the first time in the fight. McComb could smell blood, and not just from his streaming nose.

Ozgul, to his credit, started the seventh stanza quickly and actually got the better of the round, pressuring McComb effectively for the first time.

Continuing to press, Ozgul was told off for straying low at the beginning of the eighth as the pace slowed. McComb lashed in some slashing rights to the body of his own and gradually regained his grip on the contest.

Entering the ninth round for the first time in his career, McComb was bundled to the ground early and a pause was required due to, it appeared, something finding its way into the 27-year-old’s eye. Ozgul looked to take his chance, swinging in some big shots and catching an increasingly bloodied McComb with right hands. The former top amateur, though, had more than enough guile to see himself through the round.

McComb largely coasted the final three minutes to round out what would soon be confirmed as a wide win – with the cards reading 97-93, 97-93, and 99-92 in his favour.

McComb improves to 11(5)-0 following another very solid win. The game Ozgul, on the other hand, drops to 15(3)-5(1).

The West Belfast slickster will now continue his move down towards 135lbs as he targets progression towards world level over the next year.