A considerable amount of time has passed since Frazer Clarke found himself on the wrong end of a thumping right hand from Fabio Wardley in Riyadh.
The pair clashed for a second time on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol for Wardley's British heavyweight title after the first encounter ended in a draw.
Clarke looked to continue where he left off in the first fight and use his jab to assert control, but out of nowhere, two successive Wardley right hands stopped Clarke, with the second leaving a dent in the side of the 33-year-old's head.
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A defeat of this nature is often difficult for a fighter to come to terms with, and the situation was no different for Clarke, who was reflecting on the contest in an interview with Sky Sports.
"First and foremost, I have to give congratulations to Fabio Wardley, a great performance from him," Clarke said.
"In terms of processing it, it’s been very difficult. I’m not one for making excuses and I never will, I’ve got to put it down to a great performance from Fabio and maybe a slow start from me."
For Clarke, he is staring at a crossroads when it comes to what next for his professional boxing career.
At the age of 33, there are still plenty of years left with a career in heavyweight boxing, but there are concerns as to whether Clarke can secure the big fights he is eager to feature in after turning professional three years ago.
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