By Alexey Sukachev

Dennis Ceylan (18-0-1, 8 KOs) won a twelve round split decision over Ryan Walsh (21-2-1, 10 KOs) to capture the vacant European Featherweight title in the main event of Nordic Fight Night at the Arena Nord in Frederikshavn, Denmark.

The scores were 115-112 (x2), and 117-112 for Walsh. There was a flash knockdown where Ceylan touched the mat in the first round.

Ceylan, 27, has been carefully brought in after four years of honing. the entire job was almost ruined in the first when Walsh dropped Ceylan for a short count. Stockier, smaller but stronger Walsh moved well and delivered the certain heat to the Dane.

Ceylan answered by a tight shift and regrouped himself to use more reserved, careful approach. He used his jab well to stop the British featherweight champion in his track in the majority of the exchanges. Not that Walsh hadn't done anything but he was outfought and outboxed by a smoother opponent. Feeling that time isn't on his side, Ryan Walsh increased his punch output to give Ceylan some trouble in the twelfth and final round.

Walsh had only lost only one of his twenty-three professional contests, a points decision to current IBF World Champion Lee Selby.

Ceylan made his professional debut at the same venue against Artsem Abmiotka in 2012 and has since recorded victories there over Tommi Schmidt, Daniele Limone, Cristian Montilla and Elvis Guillen.

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Brought in as a suspect, lightweight Joe Murray, 29, restored his position of being prospect after upsetting yet another local prospect in Rashid Kasseem over six incomplete rounds. Murray (19-2, 8 KOs) got his foe to respect his power early on, dropping previously undefeated Kasseem in the very first round. Kasseem, 25, did his best to come back and got some prove he is up to the task but in the sixth Murray got the job done at 1:15 of the round.

 "The Dream" Kasseem suffers the first loss of his career and drops down to 11-1, 7 KOs. Murray's losses came against one man in still-to-be-beaten super featherweight Liam Walsh in 2013 and 2015.

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Denmark-based Palestinian Abdul Khattab continued his restoration with a gutsy performance and a relatively close win over well-travelled Pole Bartolomiej Grafka (18-23-3, 9 KOs) in six spirited rounds. The decisive factor was a knockdown for Khattab in round five. Final scores were: 60-53, 59-54, and 58-55 - for the Palestinian (15-1, 4 KOs), who is four fights removed from the lone loss of his career.

Also on The Card

Super bantamweight Dina Thorslund (7-0, 5KOs) got a seven round stoppage over Oksana Romanova (9-18-1).

Mikkel Nielsen (1-0, 1KO) made his pro debut with a second round knockout of Andrei Dolhozhyieu (10-18).