JOHNNY Armour's fight career was left hanging in the balance after suffering defeat to Frenchman Tuncay Kaya.

The Chatham boxer was left to ponder his future after losing the six-round super-bantamweight contest at Dagenham's Goresbrook Leisure Centre last night.

Two-years out of the ring had left the former Commenwealth, European and WBU bantom-weight title holder struggling to maintain his sharpness, which Kaya exploited in the latter rounds.

The fight went the distance, but with Armour's legs fading fast it was Kaya who came out on top, with Gillingham referee Ian John-Lewis awarding the fight to the Frenchman by 59 points to 56.

A European title shot was on the cards for the 36-year-old had he won the super-bantomweight match.

Armour - whose last fight was in July 2003 - had made a slow start to the contest, but drew first blood in round two as Kaya was struggling to maintain composure in a highly charged atmosphere.

Kaya crashed to his knees towards the end of the round after taking a blow to the head, but that was as good as it got for Armour.

His opponent's fitness gradually made the difference and by rounds five and six Armour was taking plenty of punsihment as Kaya dished out a series of upper-cuts.

Armour ended on a high with a volley of trade-mark combinations, but by then it was too late as Kaya claimed the victory.