Boxing results: Josh Padley stops Belmehdi

The second round ended the competition. Padley closed distance early, landing clean shots inside and dropping Belmehdi twice before the referee intervened.

The strike came without controversy. Padley took full control, and Belmehdi could no longer defend himself effectively.

With the win, Padley improved to 18-1 with six shutouts and secured his first major regional title. That followed a late-notice loss to Shakur Stevenson at lightweight and subsequent rebuilding wins over Marko Cvetanovic and Reece Bellotti. The performance suggested that those rounds at world level have not set him back.

Belmehdi dropped to 23-3-3. Known as an aggressive boxer-puncher, he was unable to apply sustained pressure once Padley began working inside.

Padley has built his career on discipline and consistency rather than flash, and this was another example of that approach paying off. The title win places him firmly at European level. The next move will show whether that position holds or moves up.