By Elliot Foster

Sam Sexton achieved his dream of becoming British champion after coming away with a unanimous verdict.

The Norwich heavyweight outpointed Gary Cornish at the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The pair met for the vacant Lonsdale belt in the sport’s premier division on MTK Scotland’s ‘Capital Collision’ card, exclusively live on BoxNation.

Sexton got off to a good start in the fight, despite Cornish’s superior height and reach advantage, and it continued in a similar vein throughout.

There was a controversial moment midway through the fight where, after both fighters had landed big shots, Cornish appeared to knee Sexton in the groin, causing eyes to water in the ring, at ringside and even at home.

And although the fight heated up towards the end, with both fighters trying to reaffirm their stamp to the three scoring judges, it was Sexton –– the former Commonwealth king –– who edged out ‘The Highlander’, who challenged Anthony Joshua for the vacant rainbow belt back in 2015, by margins of 116-114, 116-113 and 115-114.

In defeat, Cornish failed to become Scotland’s first ever British heavyweight champion.

Paddy Barnes warmed up for a fight in his home city with his fourth professional success.

The 30-year-old triple Olympian, who won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, advanced his pro ledger with a points victory over Juan Hinostroza.

Barnes produced some of the best boxing of his prizefighting career to date under the tutelage of Danny Vaughan before coming out with a 60-53 verdict, courtesy of six good rounds and a knockdown at the end of the second.

‘The Leprechaun’ is now scheduled for action on November 18, exclusively live on BoxNation and BT Sport, on the undercard of Carl Frampton’s Belfast homecoming at the SSE Arena, in a defence of the WBO European flyweight title he holds