Kell Brook put in a valiant display but surrendered his IBF welterweight title following an 11th-round stoppage defeat to Errol Spence Jr at Bramall Lane.

Fighting in front of around 27,000 highly-partisan fans in his home city of Sheffield, Brook more than matched Spence Jr for the first eight rounds but swelling over his left eye ultimately turned the bout in the American's favour.

Brook incredibly rallied from a 10th-round knockdown but, with his left eye nearly closing, he took a knee in the 11th and referee Howard Foster opted to end the contest.

It was only the second defeat of Brook's 38-fight professional career, while Spence significantly enhanced his reputation as he improved his record to a perfect 22-0, with 19 of those wins coming inside the distance.

Brook, who suffered a fractured orbital bone in his right eye last September when he was stopped in five by Gennady Golovkin, says his left eye suffered the same injury against Spence.

For that fight with Golovkin, Brook moved up by two full weight divisions to challenge the bigger man for the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight titles. During the bout, he suffered the orbital bone injury and was stopped by the fifth when his corner threw in the towel.

In the fight with Spence, Brook says the injury occurred in the seventh round and continued to get worse as the very tough contest played out into the championship rounds, until the Sheffield boxer was unable to take further punishment.

“I got caught on the left eye in the seventh and it felt really bad,” Brook said. “It was the one the worst feelings I ever had. Kind of like when GGG hit me on fracture my orbital bone. It was devastating. I just couldn’t see.

“It was a competitive fight. He got some rounds. I won some rounds too. I felt I was winning, but my eye didn’t allow me to continue. I just couldn’t see. You can’t fight if you can’t see.

“I got put down, and I got up because I’m warrior. I got up and kept on fighting, but on the eleven I just couldn’t see. I had to take the knee.”