ASHLEY Brace used the disappointment of missing out on the European bantamweight title late last year as motivation to claim the super-flyweight crown in Cardiff on Saturday night.

Brace’s battle with Melania Sorroche in December ended in a draw after the Spaniard was wrongly declared the winner in the ring following a scoring error.

Even though she kept her unbeaten record in the professional ranks, Ebbw Vale’s Brace said the Sorroche still felt like a defeat.

The 27-year-old moved down a weight for the Ice Arena Wales showdown with Germany-based Romanian Xenia Jorneac – and what a shrewd switch it proved to be.

Jorneac was totally overwhelmed by a boxer intent on making up for that pre-Christmas frustration, as Brace secured a wide unanimous decision (99-91, 99-91, 100-90) at the end of 10 rounds.

The big points victory for Brace also makes her the first British woman to win the European Boxing Union strap.

“It’s absolutely fantastic, I’m over the moon,” said Brace, who is trained by Tony Borg.

“The aim was to box a little bit smarter than last time, not get hit as much, and still look pretty at the end of it.

“It was one of those nights where everything went to plan.

“I worked harder because of what happened last time, and I think, if anything, it (the Sorroche draw) shook me up, and perhaps it is what I needed.

“Mentally, it took me a lot longer (to get over the draw) but the best place for me to be was in the gym.

“And when you’re going through depression we all try and run away from something that we should be doing.

“The best place to be is in the gym and me and Tony (Borg) had a good talk and it made us stronger.”

Brace is now campaigning at the same weight as two-time Olympic champion Nicola Adams, someone the Welsh woman has in her sights.

She added: “We didn’t go down a weight for anybody else, it was because the Sorroche fight wouldn’t come through.

“But obviously Nicola Adams happens to be at this weight and it’s something I’ve wanted since 2014.

“Not because I dislike her, I don't know her, but at the end of the day I want to know if I’m good enough to beat her, and that’s part of boxing, you want to know if you’re the best or not.

“Whatever comes, I’m happy. I’m happy to fight Sorroche again. It will be a different fight (than last time).”

Also on the Sanigar Events show, Newbridge’s former Commonwealth king Bradley Pryce confirmed his retirement from boxing after 63 professional fights spanning nearly two decades.

The 37-year-old lost on points (60-54) to Pontypool’s Kieran Gething in a six-round welterweight affair that was arguably the most entertaining encounter of the night.

Pryce had stated before the bout that he would quit if he didn’t come out on top, and the veteran was a clear second best to the impressive Gething.

“I would have kept going if I’d won but the truth is I’ve had bad eyesight for a number of years now,” said Pryce.

“How I’ve been passing my medicals, I don’t know. My eye just turns, my balance is all over shop and my footwork goes.

“I’m happy to say that I’ve managed to get away with it for the last couple of years, but now it’s time to realise that my eyesight is very bad and it’s time to call it a day.

“I’m telling the boxing board that I shouldn’t have been boxing for probably the last four years, my eyesight is terrible.

“I’m done with boxing.”

Unbeaten St Joseph’s lightweight Gavin Gwynne took his record to 9-0 with a 60-53 success against Dean Evans, who was floored in the second of six rounds.

And Gwynne’s stablemate Fred Evans made it five wins from as many contests thanks to a 40-36 defeat of journeyman William Warburton in a super-welterweight four-rounder.

Other Welsh boxers Liam Williams, Craig Kennedy, Nathan Thorley and Jacob Robinson also won.