JASON Curtis' dream of being crowned European Kick Boxing Middleweight champion ended in a bitter defeat on Saturday, as he was stopped in the second round.
The 35-year-old British champion, from Accrington, made a strong start in the first round against undefeated Irishman Tommy McCafferty, but was shaken by a couple of quick combinations in the second and went down twice before the referee stopped the fight.
A dejected Jason, who took over 100 followers to the Liverpool showdown, admitted he had been hurt by a strong opponent but blamed his own tactics for the defeat after taking advice from a new trainer.
He explained: “Everything went wrong on the night. I didn’t fight my own fight - I left my guard open and I got caught.”
But he vowed: “I'm still British champion so I will be looking to defend that in the new year and put myself back in a position where I can challenge for the bigger titles again.”