Brodie's sights on Hamed

Michael Brodie has a showdown with Naseem Hamed in his sights after he retained his WBF featherweight title with a hard-fought points win over tough Luis Fuentes at the Altrincham Leisure Centre.

The talk before this contest was of a March fight with Hamed, who has been inactive since his disappointing points success over Spain's Manuel Calvo in London last May.

Hamed is rumoured to be ready to return against Brodie, who did his cause no harm at all with a gutsy performance.

It looked like another tough fight lay ahead as Fuentes made a positive start, catching Brodie with crisp left-hand jabs.

Brodie unleashed some of his trademark body shots in the third round and the South American had to backtrack after being tagged a couple of times. Brodie landed a good left hand in the fourth but it was more even with Fuentes showing flashes of his skill.

Fuentes had more success in the next as a number of straight shots found their target, stopping Brodie in his tracks and he was beaten to the punch.

But Brodie landed an over-hand right of his own although it did not even rock his opponent.

In the latter stages of the fight Brodie started to stalk his opponent, chipping away with neat uppercuts and switching from head to body.

Both men gave their all during the last three minutes of an enthralling contest, but it was Brodie who had his arm raised aloft at the end.

Brodie told Sky Sports: "Naz, let's get it on.

"The British public wants to see it; I want to do it and I know you do. It will be wicked."