Justis Huni earned considerable praise for his commendable reaction immediately following his knockout defeat to Fabio Wardley.
The Australian boxer accepted the fight with only five weeks` notice after the controversial American Jarrell Miller withdrew due to injury.
Huni had seemed well on his way to spoiling Wardley`s homecoming fight in Ipswich, having built a points lead through the first ten rounds of the contest.
However, just when victory seemed out of reach for the hometown favorite, Wardley delivered a powerful, decisive right hand that completely turned the tables.
Huni displayed immense sportsmanship in defeat, as captured by impressive backstage footage from the dressing room provided by Matchroom Boxing.
While hugging a family member, the defeated heavyweight commented: "Stuff happens, you know. I`ll come back, just bounce back.
We just keep our heads up and bounce back. That`s how it is. Head up team, head up. We bounce back, it`s boxing."
Fans applauded Huni`s humble demeanor in the comments section, with one person stating: "This gentleman is a class act, very respectful throughout."
Another supporter added: "He gained many fans, not just for his boxing skills, but also for how he conducted himself afterward. Big respect."
A third comment read: "A genuinely nice guy, he`ll be back."
The 26-year-old Huni was ahead on all judges` scorecards, having thrown and landed a higher volume of punches throughout the fight.
But the single punch that made all the difference was the massive right hand from the 30-year-old Wardley, which brought the fight to a spectacular end.
The former recruitment consultant turned professional boxer maintained his undefeated record and secured the WBA interim title.
Wardley commented: "I don`t claim to be a technical master like Usyk or Justis Huni – someone who possesses all the fine-tuned skills.
"But one thing I am confident in is my ability to win fights, to dig deep, find heart, bite down on the gumshield, and ultimately find a way to victory.
"That`s precisely what I had to do tonight. I acknowledge I could have performed better in some rounds."
"Things don`t always unfold perfectly. Sometimes you just need to discover an alternative path to winning. So, you could say we pulled something unexpected out of the bag."
