HUDDERSFIELD boxer Paddy Folan put up a superb fight before suffering a sixth-round stoppage loss against Nottingham's Barrington Brown at Shaw.

The 32-year-old from Netherton was giving away both height and age against hot prospect Brown, but still gave him a tough test in Sunday's crowd-pleasing contest.

Brown, fighting at 9st 2lb to Folan's 9st 6lb, looked impressive in the opening stages and stormed the first two rounds with fast hands and solid hooks, crosses and eye-catching right uppercuts inside.

Midlands fans were hoping Folan would wilt, but instead he roared back due to superior workrate.

Folan busied himself cutting off the ring and smothering Brown in close with hooks to the body as he repeatedly raked his man in the corners and along the ropes.

That left Brown needing a knockdown to score a draw entering the last of the six rounds.

He came up with the goods in a faultless finish, landing with a left hook and right cross.

Folan clambered back up but his knees dipped after a left hook and referee Chris Kelly intervened.

In the headline fight, the Oldham-based Mongolian Choi Tseveenpurev retained his British Masters featherweight title at the expense of Coventry-based South African Harry Ramagoadi.

The fight was halted in the fifth of 10 scheduled rounds.