Tony Oakey and Brian Magee in action in Dublin

Two judges scored the fight a draw with the third giving the decision to Magee.

Magee was clearly on top in the opening stages but Portsmouth's Oakey began to turn the tables on the Belfast man who found himself on the back foot.

The fight looked close going into the final two rounds, when Magee produced some of his best work, but to no avail.

The passionate Irish crowd at the Point Arena booed the decision which saw two judges, Terry O'Connor and Ian John Lewis, both scoring the fight 114-114 while the third judge Mickey Vann gave the decision to Magee.

That verdict was enough for Oakey to hold on to the title and Magee was infuriated by the outcome.

"I was certain that I had won it," insisted Magee.

"I don't know how they came up with a majority draw because I felt for most of the round I was catching him cleanly. They'll have to order an immediate rematch and I'll just have to beat him again."

I'm happy enough to do a rematch Tony Oakey

Predictably, Oakey had a different view on the bout.

"To win the title from the champion, you have to grab it and Magee didn't do that. He was fighting for 30 seconds but I was working for three minutes every round," said the champion.

"Credit to Magee. He gave me one of my hardest fights and I'm happy enough to do a rematch."

The fight was historic in that it was the first time a British title fight had been staged in the Republic of Ireland.

Dungiven boxer Paul McCloskey and former Irish Olympian Andy Lee were among the other winners on the bill.

Light-welterweight McCloskey comfortably outpointed Italian Alfredo Di Feto, helped by a knockdown in the seventh round, while Lee claimed a stoppage win over Belfast's Ciaran Healy.

The unbeaten Limerick southpaw knocked the wind out of Healy at the end of the fourth round with a ferocious body blow and the Belfast man didn't come out for the start of the fifth round.