Leah McCourt shared an emotional dressing room embrace with her conqueror Cat Zingano after their gruelling fight at Bellator 293 in California.
The Co Down MMA star, 30, was edged on points by her opponent as the judges scored the bout 29-28, 30-27 and 29-28 in favour of the American.
McCourt's eye was left swollen after Zingano landed an opening round, but she recovered well and got her opponent on the floor in the second, although Zingano defended an attempt at an arm triangle submission well.
READ MORE: Leah McCourt busted open during gruelling fight as she suffers defeat
'The Curse' was then hit with a knee in the final round which caused blood to flow down her face as Zingano finished the bout strongly.
"She's really tall and really strong, and I'm not used to that at this weight class," Zingano said of McCourt after the bout.
"I knew it was going to be a tussle with her. It was going to be tough with her.
"What I do know is how to cause damage and I think the damage made up for some of the transitional periods."
After going to war for three rounds, the pair hugged in the dressing room after the bout, with both fighters teary-eyed and their mutual respect evident.
Zingano, 40, remains undefeated in Bellator, with her overall MMA record now standing at 14 wins and four losses.
The victory means she remains the number one contender for the promotion's featherweight title.
READ NEXT:
Dara O'Shea's season is over, Jayson Molumby set for month on sidelines
Brighton 'lucky' to have Evan Ferguson as big clubs circle Irish teenager
Keith Long on 'revisionism' at Dalymount Park over his Bohs reign
How Katie Taylor ticket prices compare to Michael Conlan's fight
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
