Ex-Leeds United and Aston Villa star knocked out in first round of boxing debut | OneFootball

Ross McCormack played for Fulham, Leeds, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in the Championship

Ross McCormack began his career at Rangers, but spent time in the Championship with the likes of Cardiff City, Leeds United, Fulham, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

The former Scotland international signed for the Bluebirds in 2008, spending two years with the club before joining Leeds.

During his time with the Whites, the now 39-year-old scored 53 goals from 144 appearances in the second division.

However, his time at Elland Road ended on a sour note as he reportedly refused to play for the club again in order to force a move to the Cottagers in 2014.

The London outfit eventually agreed an £11 million deal with the then Championship side, but he spent just two years at Craven Cottage before joining Forest on loan.

The striker played just seven times in the league for the Reds, which spelled the end of his time at this level in English football.

Ross McCormack’s boxing career embarrassment

McCormack made his boxing debut on Friday night in a fight against former defender Matt Kilgallon.

Hosted by Talksport on YouTube, the 39-year-old suffered an embarrassing first round knockout defeat to the ex-Leeds United player.

The pair took part in a charity event, with the fight set to last three rounds at A Night to Remember II, but McCormack was beaten in just the first round.

The evening was organised by Pro Project Promotions, and this was their second time holding the event, with the inaugural edition raising £120,000 for charity.

While Kilgallon and McCormack were never teammates at Elland Road, Leeds fans would’ve still taken some joy in seeing the outcome of the fight, particularly due to the manner of his exit from the Yorkshire outfit.

Leeds reportedly rejected a £5 million offer from Fulham at the start of the 2014 summer window, with the striker then handing in a transfer request.

McCormack came out with an aggressive strategy against Kilgallon in their charity boxing match, but the former defender evaded his attempts to land a blow.

The 39-year-old was ultimately punished when Kilgallon struck with a left hook of his own, which ended the fight in quick fashion.

The fight lasted around two minutes, with referee Ian-John Lewis calling for the bell.

Ross McCormack should stick to playing striker

McCormack had some sensational seasons as a striker in the Championship, reaching goal tallies as high as 21 and 28 during his time in the division.

He contributed 28 goals and nine assists in his final campaign at Elland Road, with the team finishing just 15th in the table, 15 points adrift of the play-off places.

The striker scored 17 and 21 for Fulham during his two campaigns at Craven Cottage, but the London outfit finished just 17th and 20th in the table, respectively.

While he proved himself as a consistent goal scorer during the best days of his playing career, McCormack may want to avoid stepping back into the boxing ring again any time soon following his short-lived debut bout against Kilgallon.