Bradley Saunders has apologised for his headbutt against Renald Garrido
Thursday 24 September 2015 10:45, UK
Bradley Saunders has apologised for the headbutt that led to him being disqualified against Renald Garrido last weekend.
The Durham light-welterweight surrendered his unbeaten record as it was waved off in the sixth following clear use of the head - and Saunders admitted in the aftermath it had been deliberate.
The 29-year-old (12-1-KO9) has endured some frustrating injuries to his hands and says that he sustained further problems early on in Saturday's bout that will require surgery.
He said: "I apologise to everybody for the way it ended. Left hand went the second round, right the fourth. I didn't want to turn my back or take a knee so that was my way of keeping him off, in the heat of the moment.
I apologise to everybody for the way it ended. Left hand went the second round, right the fourth. I didn't want to turn my back or take a knee.
"Seeing the hand specialist Mike Hayton today. I went straight to the doctors afterwards, I've ruptured ligaments and the previous bone graft has been moved so it's not where it should be anymore.
"My hands are in splints right now, I can't even pull my boxer shorts up on my own! Do you know what? I can blame my bandages or my gloves or whatever, but it's just my hands, they went in the first ever pro fight with Jason Nesbitt and I've had operations on both hands now.
"In all fairness, it is what it is, I won the fight in there but I'm a fighter and I couldn't fight, I put my head down and ran out of ideas, you're in a boxing ring and you can't protect yourself.
"I'm in there to win but I got frustrated and couldn't keep him off. I think he did know that my hands were shot, he could sense it.
"Full credit to him, he came to win and I did my job. If I never broke my hands then I could have done what I did in the first few rounds for the full fight. I didn't want Danny Vaughan to pull us out so I didn't let on that both hands had gone.
"People have knocked my fitness but my fitness was good, it was my mental side of it that affected me. I'm in a boxing fight and I can't punch anybody, I'm in a boxing ring and I can't even fight."
Saunders was a world amateur bronze medallist and turned professional in 2012.
