Boxing: Matthew Macklin suffers late stoppage defeat on Sky Sports in Dublin

Matthew Macklin’s hopes of another world title shot were shattered by a 10th-round stoppage defeat by Jorge Sebastian Heiland in Dublin.

The Birmingham boxer was hoping to line up another crack at a middleweight belt, but will find it hard to rebuild his career after being halted in dramatic fashion.

A string of damaging battles appear to have finally taken their toll on ‘Mack the Knife’, who was gradually grinded down before Heiland signalled the end with a crisp right hand to follow up a straight left.

Macklin swiftly found his range in the opener, rattling right hands into the ribs of Heiland, who was briefly troubled by the early onslaught.

Yet the Argentine answered the second bell with more purpose, taking the centre of the ring in a bid to end the early assault, although he was clipped by sharp counters from the home favourite as he marched forward.

Content to give ground, Macklin tried to lead Heiland onto more punches in the third, although this tactic was inviting sustained pressure from the South American.

Fierce pace

The fierce pace continued into the fourth, with Macklin struggling to contain his fired-up foe, and he was bullied to the ropes before firing back defiantly in the closing seconds.

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All three judges scored it 38-38 at this stage, but the fight appeared to be drifting from the flagging Macklin, who received a steady stream of hooks to head and body.

Heiland had gradually chipped away at the man in front of him, but attempted to rip through his defences in the seventh, unloading crunching right hands, with Macklin offering little in return. The 32-year-old, so used to setting the pace, was spending the rounds in reverse.

Following another sapping stanza, Heiland headed into the ninth with a two-round lead and Macklin tried to stem the tide with a huge right hand, but the fighter from Buenos Aires shrugged it off.

This proved a final stand from Macklin, who was ruthlessly halted in the next. As he edged back to the ropes, Heiland unleashed a lightning left-right combination that sent him crashing down by the ropes.

There was no need for a count, with Macklin in a dazed heap on the canvas, and he could be forced to assess his future after this damaging defeat.