Guillermo Jones beat Denis Lebedev to win the WBA cruiserweight title

Guillermo Jones beat Denis Lebedev to win the WBA cruiserweight title in one of the most brutal fights witnessed in recent years.

Jones, now 41, damaged outgoing champion Lebedev's right eye in the opening round and the injury gradually worsened into a grotesque mess.

However, the Russian more than played his part in a dramatic slugfest in Moscow that showed off the best and worst of the sport.

Both fighters let their hands go in the second round with Jones coming off second best, the veteran Panamanian taking numerous heavy shots while giving back in equal measure.

Lebedev's eye had completely closed by the fourth round and his opponent appeared to be getting on top in the next, and yet in the sixth the brave Russian again landed the better shots.

Jones took a hammering in a wild seventh that would have had most on the deck, while the eighth saw Jones again on the back foot and hitting back with little of note.

But in the next two rounds Jones found his second wind and with Lebedev's vision severely compromised, witnessing the event became increasingly uncomfortable.

The ring doctor was finally summoned in the 11th after a serious of heavy blows to Lebedev, but he allowed the fight to continue with the champion still ahead on the cards.

But the end was nigh - Lebedev finally going down midway through the round without taking a punch, and unable to summon the energy to beat the count.

There could be repercushions following this fight, with Lebedev's corner - led by former champion Kostya Tzsyu - inexplicably letting the fight continue, while Jones reportedly turned down a drug test afterwards.

Jones has been in trouble with the authorities before - after boxing Johnny Nelson to a draw in 2002 he was banned after testing positive for a diuretic.