Chris Eubank Junior has set his sights on a re-match with Billy Joe Saunders after bringing the Interim WBA world middleweight belt back to Brighton.

Eubank Jr, son of the city’s former two-weight world champion Chris Eubank Senior, showed he was a chip off the old block as he brutally beat defending champion Dmitry Chudinov in 12 explosive rounds at the O2 Arena.

The 25-year-old smashed the Russian around the ring until finally forcing a 12th and final round stoppage with just 49 seconds of a cracking contest to go.

He made good on his promise to The Argus to fight “tooth and nail” to return with the strap and declared: “I’ve brought the belt back to Brighton.

“It’s been a long time coming – three and a half years – and we’ve done it.

“But there is still a lot more to do and we want the official version of this [the WBA belt]. ASAP!”

Eubank senior admitted: “I am a proud father. I don’t know if in Britain there has been a father who has been champion and a son who has achieved championship status until now."

Eubank Jr says he is determined to build on Saturdays night’s success and believes he is now in an even better position to avenge the one defeat on his 20-fight career against Saunders last November when he challenged for his British, European and Commonwealth titles.

“This is a stronger belt than the British, European and Commonwealth,” Eubank Jr said.

“Now, if anything, he should be looking for me as I am in the stronger position.”

He added: “We are going to build from this and hopefully get a re-match with Saunders.

“It is something I feel I have to do before I can move on to world honours.

“This is an interim belt, it’s still a world belt, but with the WBA you have (Gennady) Golovkin and all the other top fighters in the middleweight division and I feel I need to avenge that loss before I look towards those.”