Bloodied, bruised, battered but still very much unbeaten

BERNARD DUNNE was left counting the cost of his most important victory to date as he returned to his California base yesterday.

The 24-year-old Irish featherweight prospect scored a unanimous points decision after 10 rounds with Mexican southpaw Adrian Valdez following a bruising and bloody encounter at the Aldrich Arena in Minnesota, and in front of fight fans across the US on the Showtime premium cable channel.

An inch taller and his first southpaw opponent in 14 unbeaten pro fights, switch-hitting Valdez had Dunne in trouble early on, opening a cut in the middle of his forehead in the first round during a clash of heads.