Wayne McCullough made a winning return to boxing with a fourth-round stoppage of Johannes Maisa at Bethnal Green in London last night.
McCullough, a former WBC bantamweight champion, had not competed in Britain for almost seven years.
McCullough was prevented from boxing in Belfast in October 2000 because a cyst was found during a routine brain scan.
But he sought further medical opinion and was given the all-clear by several neurosurgeons.
However, despite being allowed to box in Nevada, it was not until May 2002 that he had his British licence restored.
Maisa began the fight in aggressive fashion and it took McCullough a while to take charge.
But the Belfast man's jab soon had Maisa on the back foot and McCullough rocked the South African with a right hook at the end of round three.
McCullough needed only two minutes of round four to end the contest, the referee stepping in with Maisa on the ropes on the receiving end of a barrage of punches.
A jubilant McCullough said: "I want to fight more and I want to be world champion again.
"I want to get another three fights in before April. I want to be busy. I'm 32 years old so I have got to stay busy."
McCullough will box again in October in Glasgow and then aim to get a crack at a world title early in 2003.
PA