Worcester boxer Owen Cooper  has been defeated for the first time in 11 professional fights.

He was defeated by British-Ghanian fighter Ekow Essuman on Saturday (July 20).

With just over two minutes left of the fight, Essuman sent Cooper to the ground with a strong left hook, forcing the referee to end the fight.

The match was part of the 'Magnificent Seven' event at the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, promoted by Frank Warren and Queensbury.

In his previous bout, against the then-undefeated Eithan James, Cooper picked up the WBO European welterweight and BBBofC English welterweight belts.

Essuman had previously held British, Commonwealth and IBF European welterweight titles, but lost them in his last fight against Harry Scarff in November 2023.

Both boxers were on the offensive from the first bell, landing strong hits in the first round.

Essuman began to gain an advantage mid-way through the fight, forcing Cooper against the ropes for long spells of rounds four and five, but the Worcester star was rarely phased.

After three rounds of pressure, Essuman finally made a breakthrough late into the sixth round. A strong left hook sent Cooper falling against the ropes.

The whirlwind of punches from Essuman continued into the seventh round, with the experienced fighter showing little signs of slowing down.

Cooper began to make a recovery in the eighth round but struggled to keep Essuman at a distance.

The fight was turned on its head with 45 seconds left of the penultimate round when a right hook from Cooper landed cleanly on Essuman, sending the 35-year-old to the canvas.

Despite the power behind the punch, Essuman quickly recovered to his feet.

20 seconds into the final round of the fight, Essuman landed a strong left hook on a ducking Cooper, sending the 23-year-old stumbling into the corner of the ring.

A final flurry of punches was enough to send Cooper down permanently.

Cooper's defeat on Saturday was the first in his career, having previously held a record of 10-0 with four knockouts, while Essuman won his 20th fight from 21.

Essuman's victory means Cooper has now lost his WBO Belt.