Fight fan’s jaws hit the floor as Marco McCullough hit the canvas and was eventually stopped in the first round a clash with Zoltan Kovacs in Germany last time out.

The Belfast fan favourite was meant to ease past a puncher that caused Daniel McShane little trouble.

In the immediate aftermath, the more pessimistic boxing follower predicted doom gloom and questioned where the former Irish, Celtic and WBO European Champion was going from here.

Among all the negativity, however, one man remained positive, the fighter himself. Indeed, McCullough claims the shock defeat might actually prove a good thing.

The featherweight claims he learnt vital lessons in only his second career defeat, his first since his second pro bout, and is adamant it was better to have mistakes exposed in a lower key fight than a title fight.

“I made a lot of mistakes in Germany from making weight to errors in the ring itself. If I’d won after making those mistakes I may not have learned as much as I have, and could have kept things the same. In that sense maybe in a way it was a good thing.”

The 25 year old looks to put the shock defeat behind him when he returns to the ring on a Cyclone Promotions card in Scotland this Saturday night.

An opponent whose name has yet to be confirmed, but has a 7-5 record awaits in the Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh on a card that includes a Celtic title fight for fellow Belfast man Anthony Cacace.

McCullough is confident of victory and wouldn’t mind having to bank a points win.

“I’ve only fought 2 rounds this year so if I’m honest I’d be happy enough to get in 6 good rounds but I’ll try and get that stoppage if it’s there,” he told Celtic Fighter

“All my friends and family are going. So at the moment there’s about 40 or 50 heading, which is a good number. It’s a smaller hall as well so you’ll definitely hear them.”

This weekend’s clash isn’t the only one McCullough has lined up. He will return to the Waterfront Hall, a venue were he had a brilliant battle with Martin Parlagi, to take on Scot Jon Slowey, however he claims his focus is solely on Friday’s clash.

“At the moment I’m just concentrating on next week. I’m glad I’ve another fight booked for November, so I can come home and get straight back into camp for it.”