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ZIMBABWE-BORN British heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora beat Kubrat Pulev by split decision in a close heavyweight encounter at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night, ending a run of three consecutive defeats.

The 38-year-old — an underdog heading into the fight — went toe-to-toe with Bulgarian Pulev (41) with both men landing throughout the contest.

One judge scored it 116-112 to Pulev, with the other two scoring it 116-112 and 116-114 to Chisora.

Chisora gains revenge for his 2016 split decision defeat by Pulev.

“It was hard. I never choose easy fights, I love hard fights,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“You are not here for long, I need the hard fights.”

Pulev suffered his third defeat in 32 bouts, having also lost in world title challenges to Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua.

It may not have been the most technical bout of all time, but Pulev-Chisora was a fight in which two veterans of the heavyweight division traded punches relentlessly for almost the entirety of the contest.

Chisora promised he would stick it on Pulev from the first bell and, in front of a raucous crowd of 7 000, was the aggressor straight away, forcing his opponent on to the back foot.

Pulev’s clinching prevented Chisora from finding leverage in the opening two rounds, but the Briton’s work to the body was particularly impressive.

Chisora bulldozed forward with little regard for his own defence or safety, but Pulev began to find success with his jab and landed the cleaner punches as his opponent lost momentum in rounds three to five.

It was a scrappy affair at times, with both fighters leading with their heads, getting tangled up on the inside and warned by the referee on several occasions in the middle rounds.

The bout really picked up in the second half, however.

In the seventh round, Chisora unleashed his trademark overhand lefts and rights.

Not everything landed cleanly, but each wild swing spurred the crowd into action, with Pulev cut above the right eye.

A Pulev right uppercut in the eight, teed up by a straight left, wobbled and hurt Chisora. In the ninth, however, it was Pulev holding on as the Briton came back fighting.

Two huge rights and a cracking left landed on Pulev, who was somehow still standing.

Pulev landed a right after the bell in round 10, Chisora reciprocated with a punch of his own as the referee — not for the first time — intervened.

Both boxers may have felt the fight was still there for the taking in the final round, and it Chisora who landed the more telling blows.

The story of Chisora goes on, but perhaps not for much longer.

He said: “I was hurt (by the uppercut in the eighth round). I wont stand here and say I wasn’t hurt. I had to regroup and shut that door again.

“I’m excited because I am on my way out, I’m not going to lie.

But before I go out I want to give you guys a show.”

Promoter Hearn described the Pulev clash as a “must-win” fight for his boxer.

Speaking after the fight, Hearn added: “People talk about Chisora and say ‘should he hang up the gloves’.

He has just beaten a top 15, top 10 heavyweight in the world so how can you criticise him?

“If he is winning fights like that against the standard of Kubrat Pulev, why not carry on in the sport?”

Chisora’s three consecutive losses came against quality opponents – pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk, the current unified world champion, followed by back-to-back losses against former WBO champion Joseph Parker.

Four defeats in a row, however, would have been hugely damaging for any boxer, particularly those at the back end of their career. But Chisora is not just any boxer; there is no suggestion he would have retired even if he had lost. — BBC Sport