Manny Pacquiao lost his WBO welterweight world title to Jeff Horn in a unanimous points decision in front of 50,000 fans in Brisbane.
While most had the fight in favour of Pacquiao, the judges scored it 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113,
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, had predicted a short and sweet fight, but Horn won some of the early rounds and Pacquiao needed treatment during the sixth and seventh rounds for a cut on the top of his head that resulted from a clash of heads.
Pacquiao went on to dominate the later rounds and most expected the fight to go his way. The judges, though, controversially decided otherwise.
However, the 38-year-old was gracious in defeat.
‘I didn’t expect that , that’s part of the game,’ Pacquiao said. ‘That’s the decision of the judges. I respect that.’
Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) added that he wanted a second chance against Horn.
‘Absolutely, yes. We have a rematch [clause] so no problem,’ Pacquiao said. ‘Yeah, yeah. He beat me.’
Pacquiao had been hoping for another chance to fight Floyd Mayweather, who he lost to in 2015, but that seems unlikely now.
Photo: Patrick Hamilton/AFP Photo