Darren McDermott is ready to admit defeat in his battle with the scales after keeping his English middleweight title in Stoke-on-Trent.

McDermott outpointed Danny Butler over 10 gruelling rounds at the Fenton Manor Sports Complex and will next week meet manager Dean Powell to discuss his fighting future.

He looks set to target the 12 stones super-middleweight division after struggling to make the weight for the first defence of the belt he took from Steve Bendall in February.

Referee John Keane scored the fight to McDermott by a 96-95 margin that looked as if it should have been wider in favour of ‘The Black Country Bodysnatcher.’

He dropped Butler heavily in the fifth round with a perfectly-timed right uppercut and he had the edge in many of the rounds with his long jab, while Butler tried to rush in and launch flurries of two-fisted attacks.

McDermott did have to hang on in the last minute after being nailed – and the 31 year-old from Dudley blamed his struggle to make the weight for his late scare.

He said: “It’s so hard to get down to 11 st 6 lbs. Losing the last couple of pounds is so tough.

“I’m looking to get a couple of wins at super middleweight and then hopefully, Dean can get me a crack at the British champion, Paul Smith.”

Rob Norton also has more big fights to look forward to after winning last night, while Dean Harrison faces an uncertain future after a shock defeat.

Norton was set to defend his Commonwealth cruiserweight title against Akin-yemi Laleye, but the Nigerian pulled out on the eve of the fight.

Instead, the Stourbridge southpaw dominated Ismail Abdoul from Belgium over six rounds and now faces a rematch with David Dolan next January at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

Harrison crashed to a surprising loss, however.

Wolverhampton’s former British light-welterweight title challenger was decked in the opening round by wiry southpaw Darren Askew, but then dominated the second round with his bustling attacks.

Harrison was in charge in the third as well until he ran on to a left uppercut that dropped him heavily.

He beat referee Terry O’Connor’s count and was unhappy with the official’s decision to stop the fight.

By Matthew Bozeat