Photo Gallery: Carl Froch vs Andre Dirrell

Last Saturday night in Nottingham, battle tested British super-middleweight Carl Froch took on American speedster Andre Dirrell in the first round of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Photographer Justin McKie was ringside at the Trent FM Arena to capture all the action from the much anticipated super-middleweight clash.

Carl Froch vs Andre Dirrell

Photos © Justin McKie - Click on the images to enlarge. Carl Froch arrives at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham - the scene of his memorable 12 round victory over Canadian Jean Pascal last December. From wrapping the hands, to getting warmed up, trainer Rob McCracken prepares his fighter for a hard night's work. Fighting on foreign soil for the first time as a professional, Andre Dirrell looks relaxed and confident as he makes his way to the ring. The 26 year old from Flint, Michigan, brought a perfect 18-0 record into the contest. With the clock already past 2 AM local time and the crowd eager for action, Froch makes his entrance. The hometown fighter is coming off his two biggest victories - a unanimous decision over Jean Pascal and a last minute stoppage of Jermain Taylor - and sports a perfect record of 25-0. The early rounds were fought mostly at long range, with Froch edging forward and the switching hitting Dirrell using his jab from both the conventional and southpaw stance to stay at long range. Dirrell also mixed in plenty of movement, avoiding much of Froch's early attacks with his fast feet and quick reflexes. The action intensified in the 3rd and 4th round, with Froch upping the pressure, but still having a hard time catching up with the speedy American. The action started to get a little messy as the bout moved into the mid rounds. The fighters often came together awkwardly, with Dirrell slipping to the canvas more than once. Both men were guilty of numerous infractions in what was becoming an increasingly untidy fight. Froch was cautioned on more than one occasion for hitting behind the head, while referee Hector Afu was forced to warn Dirrell several times for holding. Eventually Afu took a point from the American for excessive holding. Boasting a significant edge in hand speed, Dirrell often beat Froch to the punch when he lets his hands go. Above - Referee Afu looks on as Froch lands a hard left hook. Froch had many of his best moments during the second half of the fight, with Dirrell occasionally looking rattled by the pressure. After struggling through rounds 6-9, Dirrell came to life at the end of round 10 and closed strong over the final two frames. Below he lands a hard left hand between Froch's guard. After 12 hard fought rounds, the decision was as contentious as the action, with the judges disagreeing on the winner. Judge Alejandro Rochin Mapula scored it 114-113 for Dirrell, but was overruled by judge's Massimo Barrovecchio and Daniel Van de Wiele, who both had Froch in front by 115-112 scores. Next up for Froch will be a trip to Denmark to face perhaps the most complete fighter in the tournament, Mikkel Kessler. Dirrell has his work cut out as well, as he'll be going up against Germany's heavy handed Arthur Abraham. The post-fight press conference. Dirrell is seated with promoter Gary Shaw, while Froch is accompanied by Rob McCracken. One Last Shot

Bonus Pre-Fight Video