Mohamed Mimoune battled through a swollen eye to record a fifth-round stoppage of Tyrone McKenna at Belfast’s SSE Arena.

In so doing Mimoune avenged his highly controversial loss to McKenna. The welterweights first met four years ago. Mimoune was widely considered a clear winner at the final bell of their first encounter, but to the amazement of many McKenna was awarded a unanimous decision.

Mimoune, 36, entered their rematch with a clear determination not to rely on the judges, and he produced a spirited performance to stop McKenna after suffering a potentially fight-ending eye injury.

He began to engage with powerful left hands at the end of the first round. The 34-year-old McKenna responded by electing to box on the back foot by using his superior height and reach in the second, and landed straight shots. Mimoune came out for the third with apparent swelling of his left eye, which increased both fighters’ work-rate. McKenna attacked the swollen eye, and Mimoune picked up the pace knowing that he would not be able to complete the full 10 rounds.

In the fourth round Mimoune dropped McKenna with a sickening left hand to the body. The Irishman returned to his feet and waved on Mimoune, who sensed his opportunity to end their fight. McKenna survived the round but in the fifth Mimoune continued to hunt his body. A sharp right hook to the stomach brought McKenna to the canvas, where he stayed for the referee Hugh Russell Jr’s full 10-count. The time of the stoppage was 0.45 of the fifth round.

By that time the previously undefeated middleweights Aston Brown and Fearghus Quinn had already produced an entertaining two-round contest, by fighting with aggression from the opening bell. Brown dropped Quinn with a right hook in the second round, forcing the referee to wave the action over after two minutes and 30 seconds of round two.

Caoimhin Agyarko earned an 80-72 victory over Tomi Silvennoinen, and will be hoping to push for the European light-middleweight title. 

Dylan Moran stopped his fellow welterweight Owen O’Neill in just 19 seconds of the opening round to inflict his first defeat. Moran landed a left hook and followed it up with another to finish the fight.

The featherweight Jack O’Neill produced an impressive showing on his debut when he collected a 40-36 points victory over Jake Pollard. 

Teo Alin, a debutant at super featherweight, recorded a 40-36 victory over Engel Gomez to earn his first win as a professional. Cathal McLaughin defeated Martin Shaw 40-36 in a four-round middleweight fight; his fellow middleweight Gary Arthurs also won 40-36 on his debut, against Edgar Romeo.

The welterweight Dean Gonzalez Furlong got the second win of his professional career via a 40-36 shutout of Paul Scaife. 

John Boyd extended his unbeaten record with a 60-54 points victory over Jordan Grannum at middleweight.