Thailand's Somsak Singhchatchawal scored an upset knockout over France's Mahyar Monshipour to win the WBA super bantamweight title in Paris on Saturday after a bruising slugfest.

Somsak had Monshipour on the canvas in the first and was on the end of a sustained pummelling in the early rounds before coming back into the contest as the Iranian-born French champion tired.

A relentlessly explosive bout was settled in the 10th round, when Somsak caught Monshipour with six massive unanswered hooks, forcing the referee to stop the contest to the dismay of a fiercely partisan Parisian crowd.

Somsak's corner exploded with joy after the victory, leaping into the ring to hold their fighter aloft before brandishing a portrait of Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Monshipour had been making his sixth defence of a title won in July, 2003, and saw his record move to 28-3, with 19 knockouts and two draws.

Fighting outside Thailand for the fourth time in a long career, Somsak moved to 46-1, with 37 wins inside the distance and one draw. The Thai fighter immediately phoned his parents after the bout.

"I am proud to have won this fight for Thailand and my parents," Somsak said through an interpreter.

Showing no signs of bruises or cuts, the 28-year-old from Lampang also made history for his country as he became the first Thai boxer to win a title fight in Europe and is now Thailand's 37th world champion.

The defeat has almost certainly ended the career of Monshipour, who was abandoned by his mother at the age of six months before arriving in France from Iran as an 11-year-old.

The popular champion said there is only a "0.001 per cent" chance of him continuing in the ring.

"I've turned a page," Monshipour, 30, said. "I dreamed of unifying the titles but it was not to be."

Agencies, The Nation

PARIS