Carl Frampton says brilliant goodbye to Belfast as he sets up another title bid

Carl Frampton said a brilliant goodbye to Belfast and a big hello to his bid for a third world title as he realised his dream of boxing at Windsor Park.

Northern Ireland’s national football stadium was packed with 25,000 followers of the Jackal as he destroyed Australian tough guy Luke Jackson.

That merciless performance teed up a Battle of Britain for Josh Warrington’s IBF world featherweight title.

Frampton’s folk hero status in Ulster and Warrington’s booming popularity in Leeds will make a for a fevered atmosphere in the Manchester Arena in December.

‘Given our styles, this could be the fight of the year,’ said Frampton after confounding suspicions that he may be past his prime.

He was back to his clinical, merciless best in knocking out Jackson at the end of the ninth round.

Frampton broke down Jackson by adding sustained body attacks to his head snapping combinations. It was a relentless onslaught.

Jackson winced with pain several times as Frampton pounded his torso through the winning of every round.

Frampton praised him for battling on but the final, crushing right-hander to the abdomen in the ninth round was was too much to bear.

Jackson struggled back to his feet but as the barrage increased his corner three in the towel With Frampton hoping that victory over Warrington in England would lead him on to world title unification fights in the US, he hints that this could be his last ring appearance in his home city.

If so, it was a memorable farewell.

The Belfast boxer now has his eyes on an IBF title fight against Josh Warrington in Manchester

Warrington (right), the current IBF world featherweight champion, was present at the fight