Junior Witter vowed he will be a world champion again after losing his WBC light-welterweight title in a surprise defeat by US fighter Timothy Bradley in Nottingham.

The 34-year-old had hoped a comprehensive win would pave the way for a fight against Ricky Hatton but instead Bradley took the belt on a split points decision.

"I'm gutted, I can't believe it," Witter told ITV 1. "I thought I'd done enough to win. I know I had the knockdown but I thought I worked hard enough in the rest of the fight to win comfortably.

"I don't think you saw the best of me tonight. Timothy Bradley came out and fought and took some good shots. He caught me with a hell of a shot.

"But I was just a bit sloppy. It was a perfect shot. He'd been trying it all night, I knew he was going for it. But I won rounds before it. I won rounds after that.

"I'm still going to carry on, no way am I retiring after that. There's a lot more in the tank. There are better nights for me to come and Junior Witter will be back. As a world champion."

Bradley felt his preparation proved the difference and accused Witter of treating him too lightly.

"I trained hard I worked hard my whole life to get to this point and I wasn't going to slip up," Bradley said.

"Junior can say whatever he wants. He fought a hell of a fight but I kept the pressure on.

"I've been watching Junior Witter for a year. I always do my homework. I saw he was susceptible to getting hit with right hands.

"He was thinking about Ricky Hatton. His mind was on Ricky Hatton not on Timothy Bradley."

Bradley insisted he has not thought about his next fight but a meeting with Hatton, or a rematch with Witter, could be an option.

"I'm a big fan of Ricky Hatton, I love his style," he added. "I will give Junior Witter a rematch if the money's right."