Pierce O'Leary suffered the first professional defeat of his career after being stopped by Mark Chamberlain in a super-lightweight fight in Dublin on Sunday 2 August 2026.
O'Leary, fighting in front of his home crowd at the 3Arena, was floored twice in the opening rounds before battling back to drop Chamberlain in the seventh. The Portsmouth fighter then ended O'Leary's unbeaten record with a dramatic stoppage in the 10th.
Early knockdowns put O'Leary in trouble
Chamberlain took control of the fight in the second round, flooring O'Leary with a left hand. O'Leary was dropped again in the third round, sinking to the canvas after an uppercut, and looked close to a swift defeat.
O'Leary's seventh-round rally
Roared on by a vociferous Dublin crowd, O'Leary launched a spirited fightback. A body shot sent Chamberlain crumpling to the floor by the ropes in the seventh round, briefly turning the fight in the home fighter's favour.
Chamberlain ends the comeback in round 10
Chamberlain regained control a few rounds later, landing a huge right hand that prompted the referee to wave off the contest in the 10th round, ending O'Leary's pursuit of a comeback win.
After his unbeaten record was ended, O'Leary called for a rematch. "I thought I was well back in the fight when it happened but it is what it is," he said. "Mark was the better man on the night. A fight like that, I think we all want to see a rematch."
Chamberlain praises O'Leary
Chamberlain, who put his career back on track after a draw with Jack Rafferty last August, said he was ready to fight anywhere. "I'm not a stranger to an away day, and anyone that knows me deep down knows I will fight anyone, anywhere," he said. "If it means I've got to go in the champion's back garden, I'll do that."
He added: "I take my hat off to Pierce because he's a true champion and he'll come again."
