Michael Conlan to decide on future

Michael Conlan after losing by TKO. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Michael Conlan will take time away with his family to digest the events of Saturday night before confirming a decision on his career.

The Belfast man was stopped in the seventh round of Saturday's WBA International super-bantamweight title fight at the SSE Arena, the third reverse of his career and a second in succession having lost to Luis Alberto Lopez at the same venue in May.

Conlan had hoped Saturday would prove the springboard for a third crack at world honours, but it wasn't to be as a fired-up Gill arrived in town with his own career on the line and it was the Englishman who can now look to bigger and better things.

On the night, Conlan was dropped hard in the second round with a left and although he recovered, there was a sense the heavy fire coming his way was making a dent.

He did recover and had plenty of moments of his own, the fifth round one in which he looked more like his old self and although stung again in the sixth, utilised the uppercut to good effect.

However, a heavy right to the top of the head in the seventh Roundhead him in trouble again and referee Howard Foster stepped in during the follow-up assault with Gill looking to end it there and then.

So where next for Conlan? The road back to the top was difficult enough before the opening bell, but now it seems this might be it and promoter Eddie Hearn gets a sense that might be the case.

"It's the fighter's decision but it's very difficult to come back from that," said Hearn.

"He's a guy who wants to challenge for a world title and he lost for a world title, which is fair enough, nut now to get beat again is going to be very difficult to come back.

"Maybe you think the defeats are weight related but move to 130 and get stopped.

"I always felt Jordan Gill had the potentially to become a world-class fighter and I think tonight he proved that. He isn't an elite 130 yet - he could go onto be - but I think Michael will reflect on that and think about his future."

There were some who felt the fight may have been allowed to continue as the follow-up barrage from Gill saw the majority of the punches slipped of blocked, yet the referee was in the best place to judge and indeed, there were no complaints from Conlan or his team.

There was a sombre mood as they emerged from the dressing room, declining to do any interviews as it just wasn't the time for any definitive statements.

Instead, the West Belfast man will surround himself with his nearest and dearest having spent so much time away from when in camp in Miami.

But a decision will have to be made in time and Hearn felt that whilst the action in the ring was entertaining, it was also a sigh that Conlan is just not the fighter he once was.

"I said in the build-up it was a case of who had what left," said the Matchroom boss.

"We saw a faded Mick Conlan against a very good Jordan Gill who up at 130lbs looks a completely different fighter.

"Michael got caught early, didn't really recover but came back into it. You always felt he was capable of getting hurt at any moment.

"Just before the stoppage, Jamie Conlan stood up and seemed to look to the corner to get the towel ready as everybody knew he wasn't recovered.

"I saw on social media the stoppage was a bit early but I don't think so. You could have let it go on, but he was badly hurt, his legs weren't with him and he was getting hit at will.

"There were no complaints from the corner or the Conlan team. Mick would rather go out on the floor rather than his feet, but I think it was the right decision."