New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker has won against Britain's Derek Chisora at O2 Arena in Manchester.

Chisora took a count in round four and was knocked down by an uppercut from Parker in the seventh round.

Chisora took another count in the eighth but made it to the final bell.

With three knockdowns, Parker knew he had won the fight and got the decisions by 115-110, 115-111 and 114-112 margins.

Parker is a 29-year-old former WBO champion and this win is vital in edging him back towards world title level.

This fight is Chisora's 12th defeat of a 44-fight career and the 37 year old was described to have shown incredible 'spirit, heart and determination', particularly because he managed to reach the end of the competition.

Parker commented:

"Derek always comes for war, he was one tough guy and never stopped coming forward until the end,"

"We practised and practised that uppercut. What a Christmas present."

"I felt a lot stronger. It was important to start strong and not be negative from the beginning. You can see there are improvements to be made.

"Derek Chisora is a credit to the sport of boxing. The crowd went mental when he walked out. They just want to support him."

When Parker was asked if he would like to see Chisora retire from boxing, he answered: "Personally I'd like to see him walk away.

"He has given boxing everything he has. The atmosphere is amazing when he fights. I'd love to see him walk away but that's his decision."

This fight was essentially a rematch between the two fighters seven months prior, which was also held at the same venue however it was behind closed doors due to coronavirus restrictions.

During that fight, Chisora knocked Parker down in the opening 10 seconds of the first round, before Parker recovered and ended strongly on his way to a controversial split decision points win.

Fast-forward seven months, in front of a large, passionate crowd in Manchester, the majority of fans were cheering for Chisora, but Parker made an impressive start, twice landing right-left combinations and a powerful overhand right inside the opening round.