Paddy Donovan remained undefeated, but Tom Hill took the Irish prospect eight rounds for the first time in Donovan’s career.

Ireland’s Donovan, a 23-year-old southpaw, landed the harder shots throughout their eight-round welterweight bout and shut out Hill on the Michael Conlan-Miguel Marriaga undercard at The SSE Arena Belfast. Donovan (9-0, 6 KOs) defeated Hill (10-3, 2 KOs) by the score of 80-72.

Hill clearly needed a knockout entering the eighth round to win, but he couldn’t hurt Donovan.

Hill hit Donovan with a flush right hand approximately 4- seconds into the eighth round, but he took it well. Hill landed another right hand with just about a minute remaining in their bout, but Donovan pressed forward and continued to throw hard shots as Hill backed into a corner.

Donovan nailed Hill with a straight left 40 seconds into the seventh round. Another hard left by Donovan backed Hill in a corner with about 15 seconds on the clock in the seventh round.

Donovan unloaded power punches, including a right-left combination, when Hill backed into a neutral corner with just under 50 seconds to go in the fifth round.

Donovan drilled Hill with a right hook that made him take an awkward step with just under a minute to go in the fourth round.

In the following fight Saturday night, Irish featherweight prospect Kurt Walker beat Argentinean veteran Marcos Gabriel Martinez by unanimous decision in a six-rounder.

Walker was the more active fighter, defended himself well and easily out-boxed the shorter southpaw. Walker won 59-55 and improved to 3-0 (1 KO).

Martinez (18-4, 5 KOs) has lost three of his past four fights, dating back to 2015.

Later Saturday night, Irish junior middleweight prospect Kieran Molloy stopped Russia’s Evgenii Vazem with a body shot in the second of their scheduled six-rounder.

Molloy, a southpaw, landed a right to the body that made Vazem take a knee with 1:51 to go in the second round. Vazem answered referee Hugh Russell Jr.’s count at nine, but Russell still stopped the action at 1:23 of the second round.

Vazem (9-36, 4 KOs) has lost 26 fights in a row.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.