Gritty challenger David Light had to endure some punishing power punches to go the distance with Lawrence Okolie.

But Hackney’s WBO cruiserweight world champion Okolie was a dominant victor over 12 rounds.

He took a unanimous decision victory and ultimately manhandled Light, hurting him in the late rounds of the fight but never dropping him.

WBO cruiser champion Okolie was returning to action after more than a year out of the ring with a new trainer in his corner, SugarHill Steward.

He was eager to serve a warning to domestic rivals, the other champions in his division and even of his own potential to move up to heavyweight.

In David, though he had a mandatory challenger who not only earned this opportunity but who had long targeted Okolie and his belt, preparing specifically for his chance to topple the Londoner and become a champion.

Light had no choice but to try to burrow forward and get up close to the taller Okolie on the inside. They grappled in clinches at times.

Okolie did look to hit. The right hand flew down and Light stepped back from it just in time.

His jab pawed at Light but then all of sudden Okolie’s right would flash over targeting the head but then, after the next jab, thud heavily into the body.

Moments of success for the New Zealander were only fleeting. Nevertheless with cussed determination Light carried on pushing himself forward, slugging his right hook into the side of his head and working to disrupt the champion when he could.

But at the end of the 10th round, Okolie slammed huge hooks in a punishing salvo into Light.

In the next round, after being deducted a point for holding, Okolie hit back once again and badly shook up Light.

But the challenger was tough enough to endure and took Okolie to the cards, where the Londoner won by scores of 116-112, 119-108 and 117-110.

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Rory McIlroy is through to the WGC Match Play last four at Austin Country Club after beating Xander Schauffele; Scottie Scheffler was imperious on the back nine as he came from three holes down to beat Jason Day; Sam Burns is also through to the semi-finals

Rory McIlroy progressed to the semi-finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play with a nail-biting win over Xander Schauffele, as world No 1 Scottie Scheffler produced a back-nine masterclass to come from three behind to beat Jason Day.

After being deadlocked from the 12th hole onwards, McIlroy and Schauffele both found trouble from the tee on the 18th leaving difficult approach shots to the green.

The American was worse off and couldn’t find the putting surface with his second shot. He chipped onto the green to give himself a chance with his third before McIlroy stepped up and holed a magnificent birdie from 12ft at the last to seal a brilliant 1up victory.

“Yeah I feel great.” McIlroy, who beat Australian Lucas Herbert 2up earlier in the day, told Sky Sports. “If someone told me I was going to be a combined 16-under par for the two rounds, there’s no way I would’ve thought I played the 18th twice today but it just shows the calibre that you need to play at out here to try to beat these guys.

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Rory McIlroy says he’s relished the pressure of head-to-head golf after The Players Championship and is still feeling great after 36 holes.

“I got off to a little bit of a slower start this afternoon compared to this morning but was able to sort of battle and claw my way back and I held some great putts down the stretch to finally get the win.”

Meanwhile, Scheffler was three shots behind his Australian opponent on the seventh, but hit eight birdies without a bogey – including five in his last six holes – to claim a 2&1 triumph over Day.

Scottie Scheffler acknowledges the gallery after defeating JT Poston

It came after he completed an epic comeback to defeat JT Poston 1up earlier in the day, when he was sitting two behind going into the final four holes, before hitting three birdies and parring the last to claim an unlikely win.

In the other two semi-finals, Sam Burns beat Mackenzie Hughes 3&2 after beating world No 4 Patrick Cantlay earlier in the day and Cameron Young was the final player to seal a last-four berth, defeating Kurt Kitayama 1up.

That means the Australian has sealed a last-four clash with McIlroy, while Scheffler will face Burns for a chance to lift the trophy.

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An early goal by Dani Olmo and a late Joselu double gave Spain a 3-0 win over Norway in their first Euro 2024 Group A qualifier as they began a new era under Luis de la Fuente.

Spain took the lead in the 13th minute through winger Olmo, who flicked the ball into the bottom corner with the outside of his boot after being set up by defender Alejandro Balde.

The hosts doubled their lead in the 84th when substitute striker Joselu nodded in a brilliant cross by midfielder Fabian Ruiz three minutes after coming on. The 32-year-old found the net again a minute later to make it 3-0 on his debut from a rebound.

Spain next face Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday when Norway travel to Georgia.

Scotland opened their campaign with a 3-0 win over Cyprus at Hampden Park.

Midfielder John McGinn scored his 16th international goal after 21 minutes, with second-half substitute Scott McTominay eventually settling matters when he scored a late double.

Cyprus ended the game with 10 men after Nicholas Ioannou was sent off for kicking the ball away in frustration to pick up his second yellow card.

In Group D, Wales scored a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser to snatch a 1-1 draw with World Cup semi-finalists Croatia in Split. Turkey, who are also in Group D, came from behind to win 2-1 in Armenia after Hoffenheim defender Ozan Kabak had scored an early own goal.

In Group I, Switzerland opened up with a 5-0 away win over Belarus, with Renato Steffen hitting a hat-trick inside the opening 29 minutes.

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Zeki Amdouni were also on target in the second half, with the match played in Serbia.

Romania won 2-0 in Andorra with goals from Dennis Man and Denis Alibec either side of half-time before the hosts saw midfielder Marc Rebes sent off for a second caution, while Israel were held to a 1-1 draw by Kosovo in Tel Aviv.