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Mick Conlan scores stoppage on Pacquiao-Horn Undercard in Australia

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Mick Conlan made a big impression in front of tens of thousands of fans tonight Down Under.

The Belfast super bantamweight was in action at SunCorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, and scored another third round stoppage on the massive Top Rank card, his best performance as a pro thus far.

Conlan took on local favourite Jarrett Owen over six rounds, but didn’t need the scorecards for the outdoor fight.

To facilitate U.S. TV, the fight took place in the early afternoon under the Australian Winter Sunday sun and was one of the chief support bouts on the Manny Pacquiao v Jeff Horn WBO welterweight title bill.

The Brisbane boxer is the reigning Queensland champion and his last contest saw him fight to a draw for the Australian – but he was no match for Conlan tonight.

In his first two fights Conlan faced Tim Ibarra and Alfredo Chanez, two fighters who quickly withdrew into their shells and used spoiling tactics once confronted by the attacking arsenal of the Irishman. ‘Juarez’ Owen on the other hand was slightly different and, while he looked to stay on the outside, he certainly engaged more and the 31 year old Aussie came a cropper inside three.

Owen began circling and looking to lunge in, leading to some scrappy moments. Conlan would switch southpaw midway through the opener and had success with the right hook.

The pair traded at the start of the second, with Conlan having the greater success. The 25 year old Ulsterman remained southpaw until the final minute when the fight opened up and Conlan landed some meaty shots to the body.

The bodywork continued into the third as Owen’s feet started to slow and exchanges with Conlan became more frequent. A left hook to the body saw Owen’s knees sink but the Aussie didn’t tough down. Conlan jumped in to force the finish, at one stage looking to the referee as if to ask him to stop the fight, before landing a further four shots upstairs that saw a halt called.

The third successive third round stoppage sees Conlan stretch his perfect professional record to 3(3)-0, while the game but outgunned Owen drops to 5(2)-5(4)-3.

Mick Conlan looks set to make a home debut later this year in front of a frantic Belfast crowd. According to research by Bruce Anderson, research analyst at OZCodes, he’ll be sharing the stage with his brother Jamie Conlan who hopes challenge for the WBO title with potential opponents including Hong Kong’s very own Rex Tso

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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