Welterweight contender Josh Kelly felt pressure for the 'first time' in his defeat by EBU champion David Avanesyan, according to former world champion and Sky Sports pundit Johnny Nelson.

This past Saturday night at the SSE Arena in Wembley, Kelly was off to a good start, but by the fifth round Avanesyan began to break him down. In the sixth, Avanesyan dropped him twice before the contest was waved off.

"We talked about that gut check when the pressure is on," Nelson told Sky Sports. "I'm not saying Josh Kelly hasn't got guts because he has, the kid can fight, but you know when you're put under pressure for the first time and you've got to find your way out, this is what was happening, this is what was unravelling.

"Now Josh has got to go back and think. He's got things to work on. He's got things to improve on. He's very good at sussing out the rhythm of a fighter instantly. That's why he looks so good, that's why he's able to box the way he does and look good at it, but it's about how much he wants it. Going through that, he will come back again."

Nelson feels strongly that Kelly can recover and bounce back from his recent defeat.

"Just because he lost doesn't mean it's over for him," said Nelson. "He can come back and learn from that. Fighters need to understand that a loss doesn't mean it's the end of the world.

"This is something he'll learn from, something he'll learn to adjust. This is something he's never been through so this is why he reacted the way he did.

"He's got a good team around him. It's not about his boxing ability. It's about what's in his head, what's in his heart, how much he really wants it. He can come back from that."