Paul Smith put up a battling performance but failed to gain revenge in Berlin as he lost to a unanimous points decision to WBO world super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham on Saturday.

The Liverpudlian went down to a controversial loss to Abraham in September in a fight that seemed close to all observers but the judges who awarded the decision overwhelmingly to the German.

But Smith, despite putting up a brave fight, could have few complaints in the rematch as the judges awarded the bout 116-112, 117-111, 117-111 to the 35-year-old.

"I felt I left it all in there tonight, I'm not going home with any or many regrets," Smith told Sky Sports 3.

"He shook me once or twice, he was better tonight (than the first fight).

"I thought I was a bit better but I never quite recovered from the body shot or the shot in the fifth or the fourth.

"I thought I came on late, I've had a good telling off in the corner and managed to push on but I remember looking at the sign around five or six thinking 'he's hurt me with this body shot'. I was feeling it because the body shot takes a lot out of you."

He added: "I feel I've held my own more than enough with a quality world champion. He's only behind Carl Froch in the super middleweight division and I believe I beat him the first time but that's gone.

"He beat me tonight."