Cloud over Tassie’s Luke Jackson after world title-fight loss to Northern Ireland’s Carl Frampton

UPDATED: THIS is the price Tasmanian Luke Jackson has paid for his shot at a world title.

UPDATED: THIS is the price Luke Jackson has paid for his shot at a world title.

Team Jackson sent the Mercury this photo of the plucky fighter looking swollen and bruised after his gruelling bout.

Luke Jackson looking battered and bruised after the brave Tasmanian was stopped in the ninth round of his WBO featherweight world title fight against Northern Ireland’s Carl Frampton in Belfast yesterday. Picture: SUPPLIED

The Tasmanian champ was unable to upset the world champ, Carl Frampton, in front of 25,000 screaming Irishmen and women in Belfast early Sunday morning.

Jackson’s corner called the fight off during the ninth round as the Tasmanian courageously refused to buckle from a tirade of punches from the WBO interim world featherweight title holder.

Despite the pummeling, Jackson, 33, could still hold his head high after rising from obscurity to have a crack at a world title.

EARLIER: BOXING hero Luke Jackson will consider his future in the ring after the brave Tasmanian was stopped in the ninth round of his WBO featherweight world title fight against Northern Ireland’s Carl Frampton in Belfast yesterday.

The 33-year-old Tasmanian shook Frampton early in their title showdown, held in front of a hostile 24,000-strong local crowd.

Jackson took plenty of shots upstairs and downstairs from the hometown boxer and when a right to the body and a left to the head rocked him in the ninth, Jackson’s corner literally threw in the towel.

“He’s just a better fighter,” Jackson told the Mercury last night.

“I’m not going to use any excuses, I was prepared well and he hit me with some good punches.

“I’m upset, but I’ll live to fight another day.”

Carl Frampton, left, lands a jab on Tasmania’s Luke Jackson in the WBO featherweight world title fight in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Picture: GETTY IMAGES

Jackson, who had never fought in Europe and had never lost a professional bout before meeting Frampton, is on the record as saying when he loses his next fight, he would hang up the gloves.

He said last night that he was looking forward to a break before making any decisions.

“I’m going to go on holiday, I’m going to reassess and then I’ll sit down with my team and figure out what we do,” Jackson said.

He added he had been overwhelmed by support from back home.

It was an enormous challenge, and Jackson did not look overawed.

Frampton, 31, put the writing on the wall from the opening bell and looked a class above the courageous Tasmanian as he took the opening two rounds.

Frampton began loading up on his punches in the fourth and fifth as he looked to finish the challenger.

Jackson landed his best shot of the fight in the sixth, a straight right, but Frampton barely flinched and continued his attack.

Jackson was rocked by a devastating body shot in the eighth round from which he never fully recovered.

And in the ninth round, Jackson’s dream was ended.