Martin Murray’s quest for a world title at the third time of asking ended in disappointment but not embarrassment when he suffered an 11th-round stoppage defeat to WBA world middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in Monte Carlo on Saturday.

The St Helens boxer was not a match for the unbeaten Kazakh, who ended the contest in the penultimate round with a barrage of blows, to earn his 32nd victory of his career, and 29th by knockout.

It was a brave but ultimately fruitless endeavour from Murray as Golovkin led the contest from the outset and kept up his impressive record of winning all of his world title fights by stoppage.

Both fighters made a tentative start to the fight, with few punches thrown in a cagey first round.

It was a different story in the second, however, as Golovkin backed Murray onto the ropes and unleashed a fierce uppercut that landed heavily on Murray’s chin.

Murray responded with a couple of counter-shots but they did not appear to trouble the world champion.

Golovkin found a way through Murray’s defences towards the end of the third round with a swift left-right combination that shook the Englishman but the bell sounded before the Kazakh could go in for the kill.

Golovkin smelled blood and Murray was doubled over in pain with 50 seconds of the fourth round left after his opponent caught him with an almighty shot to the stomach before forcing a second count moments later with another fearsome uppercut.

Murray, with blood streaming from his nose, managed to survive until the end of the fourth and regained some composure in the fifth, but Golovkin inflicted further pain just a couple of seconds from the bell with another powerful right landing successfully.

The sixth saw Murray acquit himself a lot better and a succession of combinations, although they did not trouble Golovkin, gave him food for thought and the seventh passed without incident for both fighters.

Golovkin upped the ante in the eighth but left his assault a little too late and time ran out just as the champion appeared to be penetrating Murray’s defences once again. Murray fell to the canvas once again, but this time he merely lost his balance.

Murray’s defences remained steadfast in the ninth and, although he was visibly tired, so too was his opponent and Golovkin could not find the knockout blow when he manipulated Murray onto the ropes.

Golovkin very nearly found it in the 10th, however, as he tried to duck away from a Golovkin haymaker but was caught on the side of his face.

A six-count ensued and the fight was over 50 seconds into the 11th round when referee Luis Pabon stepped in to stop the fight as Golovkin unleashed a barrage of blows in the corner as Murray's defences finally wilted.

Meanwhile Paul Smith put up a battling performance but failed to gain revenge in Berlin as he lost to a unanimous points decision to WBO world super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham on Saturday.

The Liverpudlian went down to a controversial loss to Abraham in September in a fight that seemed close to all observers but the judges who awarded the decision overwhelmingly to the German.

But Smith, despite putting up a brave fight, could have few complaints in the rematch as the judges awarded the bout 116-112, 117-111, 117-111 to the 35-year-old.

Smith came out on the front foot, landing with the jab and throwing a useful combination on the ropes but it was nothing to trouble Abraham who landed a left of his own at the end of the first.

Abraham was more aggressive in the second as he targeted the body with both men throwing some wild punches as the third came to a close.

Smith was the first man to look hurt in the fourth and his legs appeared shaky after a barrage of shots ending with a right hook, but the Liverpudlian responded well before the champion unleashed a flurry of blows to the head as the round wound down.

The German had Smith on the ropes again early in the fifth with a flurry of punches but the challenger managed to block the majority of them. Abraham was growing in confidence now and dropped his gloves to invite Smith on before going back on the front foot and landing with more frequency.

The momentum was with Abraham but Smith is made of stern stuff and a big body shot appeared to rock his opponent, sending Abraham into his shell for the remainder of the sixth.

Both men appeared to be tiring early in the seventh but a combination from Abraham sparked Smith to life with the Briton landing more body shots but a good left from Abraham in the closing stages rocked Smith again.

Abraham appeared to be growing in confidence and was beginning to get through with more punches on the ropes and the challenger kept going back to the body as he was getting little joy with the jab.

The German landed a good right hand just over a minute into the ninth and it was looking likely that the scorecards were getting away from Smith going into the last three rounds.

Abraham kept coming forward in the 10th and landing with more and more regularity, a big right hand wobbling Smith who was looking weary but still battling against the man three years his senior.

Smith seemed to find something else in the next but Abraham was sitting back now, clearly sensing that the job was done, and the German cruised through the last to retain his title.