Ricky Burns spoke about how he welled up upon becoming Scotland's first three-weight world champion.

The 33-year-old from Coatbridge rolled back the years with an all-action performance and decked the 34-year-old Italian in the eighth round, leaving him in no state to continue according to referee Terry O'Connor.

Burns was understandably emotional after once again becoming world champion, following his struggles in and out of the ring in recent years.

"When that fight was stopped I could feel myself welling up," he said in the ring afterwards.

"All my team, they all know what this meant to me.

"Obviously after everything that has happened, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom showed faith in me, delivered this big fight, it couldn't get any bigger."

Burns admitted he was surprised at the relative ease with which he won the contest after improving his record to 40 wins from 46 professional contests, with five defeats and a draw.

He said: "(Trainer) Tony (Sims) was saying at the end of the first round, 'just do what you're doing'.

"It was everything we had been doing in the gym, the game plan we set out was to keep it long, get the jab going, double it up, straight right hands, I couldn't miss him with it.

"Tony was saying that we didn't even have to get in the second phase of the gameplan because the first phase was working."

Burns added: "I'm just over the moon, I'm going to enjoy it, go on holiday next week and when I come back I'll be chasing my team to find out what's happening next.

"There's some massive fights out there at light-welter. I did make super-lightweight a bit too comfortable so lightweight's always an option as well."