South African boxer Brandon Thysse fell short in his bid for the vacant IBO world super-welterweight title after Milan Prat won a unanimous decision in Enghien-les-Bains, France.
The 12-round contest on Thursday developed into a demanding exchange in which both fighters were hurt and forced to recover. Thysse travelled as the challenger against a French opponent fighting close to home, having entered the bout with a professional record of 20 wins, four defeats and one draw.
Thysse settled quickly and appeared to send Prat to the canvas in the second round, although the referee ruled the incident a slip. Prat responded moments later with a counter left hook that knocked the South African down, shifting the momentum toward the home fighter through the early rounds.
The challenger rebuilt his position after the fifth round. A straight right dropped Prat in the sixth, and Thysse forced further counts in the seventh and eighth rounds as his pressure and power pushed the Frenchman into survival mode.
The contest changed again during the eighth round when Prat landed low blows. No point was deducted, and Prat recovered sufficiently to increase his output through the closing stages while Thysse searched for another decisive punch.
Both fighters reached the final bell after a sustained exchange across the championship rounds. The judges awarded the fight to Prat unanimously, leaving Thysse without the belt despite a performance in which he repeatedly threatened to stop the new champion.
The defeat follows Thysse’s March victory over domestic rival Roarke Knapp in the Sole Survivor tournament at Emperors Palace. Although the result in France added another loss to his record, the South African demonstrated that he can compete over 12 rounds against a leading international super-welterweight.
Source: Reporting based on Sport South Africa. Featured image: James Gradidge/Gallo Images, as credited by the source.