Pierce O'Leary experienced his first professional loss at the hands of Mark Chamberlain in an exhilarating contest held in Dublin. Despite being knocked down twice in the initial rounds, O'Leary valiantly fought back, managing to drop Chamberlain, but ultimately succumbed to a stoppage in the tenth round of their super-lightweight clash at 3Arena. Chamberlain gained control of the fight from the second round, sending O'Leary to the canvas with a powerful left hand.
On the verge of a swift defeat, O'Leary was dropped again in the third round after an uppercut from Chamberlain. However, fueled by the energetic crowd, O'Leary mounted a spirited comeback, landing a body shot that sent Chamberlain crashing to the floor in the seventh round. O'Leary's pursuit of a comeback victory was brutally ended by Chamberlain a few rounds later, as the Portsmouth fighter landed a massive right hand, prompting the referee to stop the fight.
Following the loss, O'Leary called for a rematch, stating, 'I thought I was back in the fight when it happened, but that's how it goes.' Chamberlain, who revived his career after a draw with Jack Rafferty last August, said, 'I'm not unfamiliar with competing away from home, and those who know me understand I'll fight anyone, anywhere. If it means going into the champion's backyard, I'll do that.
I tip my hat to Pierce, though, as he's a true champion and will bounce back.'