Sean McComb overcame illness in build-up to fight with Arnold Barboza Jr

The Belfast native had to battle through serious adversity to even make it to fight night.

Sean McComb's coach has revealed that the Belfast native battled through illness in the build-up to his fight with Arnold Barboza Jr.

McComb faced Barboza Jr for the American's WBO Inter-Continental Super Lightweight title in the co-main event on the Devin Haney v Ryan Garcia card at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday evening.

Taking to Instagram after the bout, McComb's coach revealed in a post that the Northern Irishman had only had a four-week camp for the fight, with one of those weeks being ruined by illness.

READ MORE:Sean McComb 'robbed' by 'one of the worst decisions seen' on Devin Haney v Ryan Garcia card

The 31-year-old came out the wrong side of a highly controversial split-decision defeat in a bout which many fans believe the Northern Irishman had won clearly.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said the difference in the scorecards made "absolutely no sense at all", while fellow Belfast boxer Caoimhín Agyarko stated it was "one of the worst decisions" he's ever seen in boxing.

Barboza struggled with McComb's style throughout the ten-round contest, with the southpaw causing the defending champion all sorts of problems, the marks of which were clearly visible on the 32-year-old's face at the end of the fight.

Boos rang out around the arena as the result was called out, with McComb, his coach Pete Taylor and the rest of his team stunned with the decision.

Speaking on DAZN, Matchroom boss Hearn said: ""How on earth do you have a scorecard that is 98-92 for McComb and 97-93 for Barboza?

"Makes absolutely no sense at all. I thought McComb won.

"The wideness of the scorecards, that has to be impossible. It just doesn't make sense."

The result saw Barboza take his record to 30-0, while McComb's now stands at 18-2.

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