‘Punched my head in’: Aussie boxing star’s devastating knockout win

Aussie Michael Zerafa has some very prickly words for his haters after a devastating mauling that has earned him a world title fight.

Michael Zerafa has earned his title shot. Photo: Fite, Twitter.

Aussie boxing star Michael Zerafa has earned a world title shot with a devastating mauling of Isaac Hardman in their bitter showdown on Wednesday night.

Zerafa stopped the undefeated Queenslander inside two rounds at the Melbourne Convention Centre to lock in an expected IBF middleweight world title shot this year.

He did it in devastating fashion by dropping Hardman to the floor with a sweet left hook that caught his opponent on the cheek.

Hardman got back to his feet, but the referee stopped the fight seconds later after Zerafa launched into a flurry of punches to finish his opponent off.

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Hardman even admitted after the fight he’d had his “head punched in”.

“He got me plain and simple,” Hardman said after his first loss.

“Mick got me and that’s boxing — you win some and lose some, you win well and I’m going to lose well.

“There was a lot of beef and at the end of the day he got in here and punched my head in and I lost.”

Michael Zerafa has earned his title shot. Photo: Fite, Twitter.

According to The Courier-Mail, Hardman said: “We got in here and the fleabag punched my f***ing head in.

“I am 25 years old and I will keep boxing till I’m 33 and win a world title one day.”

Zerafa, 30, is now the world number two IBF contender and is set to fight Brazil’s new number one-ranked contender Esquiva Falcao for the IBF belt.

Zerafa wants to have the fight in Melbourne.

The title is his to grab after middleweight legend Gennady Golovkin opted to vacate the division to chase a fight with megastar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

Zerafa has become one of the most divisive figures in Australian boxing after his brash war of words with Tim Tszyu before his forced withdrawal from their scheduled fight.

He says the criticism he has received since the fight fell through is driving him.

“To all the haters, thank you, thank you,” Zerafa said.

“I did this for you. I know you all doubted me and I wanted to come out here and show the world.

“I’m bringing a world title back to Melbourne.

“I’ve got a world title shot next and what’s Timmy doing?”