JOE HUGHES wonders just what he has to do to beat British super lightweight champion Tyrone Nurse.

Hughes was left frustrated and angry after 12 battling rounds at the Leicester Arena on Saturday resulted in a draw, leaving the title and the Lonsdale belt still in the hands of the Huddersfield man.

Judge Dave Parris marked the fight 115-113 in Hughes' favour, Phil Edwards gave it to the champion 116-113 and Steve Gray couldn't separate them at 115-115.

Hughes is convinced he won the fight 'by two rounds' and is desperate for a rematch.

It is the second time in his career that he feels he got the better of Nurse – although not in the eye of the judges. They clashed in a Junior ABA semi-final 10 years ago with the tall, gangly Nurse getting that controversial decision as well.

"I was happy with my performance on Saturday and thought I had won it by two rounds," insisted Malmesbury's Hughes.

"While we were waiting for the result, I was watching the highlights on a screen at the side of the ring – and they were all my scoring punches.

"But the longer it took for the result to be announced I began to think 'oh oh'. When it was called a draw I wasn’t too shocked.

"Even promoter Frank Warren said to my manager Andy O' Kane that he thought I had nicked it."

Hughes clearly won the opening two rounds scoring well at close quarters with uppercuts. Thereafter the rounds were close with each fighter having periods of success.

But even when Hughes mixed up his style (part of his game plan to unsettle Nurse) and boxed from longer range he enjoyed some success out-jabbing his much taller opponent.

Pundits had expected Nurse ‘to box Hughes' head off” according to BT Sport's John Rawling but it proved nothing of the sort.

"I have watched some of the video but I got so wound up by the biased commentary in Nurse's favour that I had to turn it off," said Hughes.

"Nurse was a 9-1 ON favourite and I think the media could not believe what was happening. I felt I was hitting the cleaner shots and more of them.

"I got fed up hearing how Nurse was having an off night.

"Several of my friends had £200 on me at 11-2 and at the final bell were planning on having a long night out in Leicester – until the official result came through.

"I would love a rematch and my manager has already made an application to the Board to be made the mandatory challenger.

"I’m 100 per cent confident that I can beat him given the chance of a rematch.

"I'm not making excuses because I thought I boxed well but I can do better. I’ve missed a lot of sparring due to a problem with my elbow which required a cortisone injection three weeks ago.

"I normally come on strong in the last few rounds and that was not the case on this occasion."