Jason Moloney returned to his corner after 10 rounds of brutality knowing the scores were likely tied and his right eye, again, was filled with blood.

“And that,” he recounts, “is when I told myself ‘this where you’re best work is done … go show how badly you want this.”

And guess what?

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While it may have taken him three attempts to win a world title, Australia’s WBO bantamweight king needed only one defence to prove himself a champion in every sense.

Better, the gutsy 32-year-old will now demand a blockbuster world title unification Down Under after retaining his strap in a bloody war against Mexico’s Saul Sanchez.

Defending gold for the first time in a massive Top Rank card in Quebec City, Canada, Moloney fought for almost 30 minutes with a large gash over his right eye to eventually claim a gutsy majority decision — 116-112, 116-112, 114-114.

Apart from being an incredibly early contender for ‘Australia Fight of the Year’, it also came on a night where countryman Rohan Murdock also proved himself all heart before being stopped after six rounds against unbeaten Canadian super middleweight star Christian Mbilli.

According to CompuBox, Mbilli hit Murdock with a staggering 190 power punches through six rounds – and at one point, knocked his mouthguard out and into the crowd – before the Aussie’s team called it off.

In the main event, light heavyweight champ Artur Beterbiev also retained his titles with a seventh-round stoppage of Englishman Callum Smith.

Yet the Moloney win?

Well, after walking out to Land Down Under, and with twin brother Andrew holding his title aloft, he then went headlong into an absolute slobberknocker.

So close was the result, ESPN commentator Mark Kriegel scored the championship bout a draw, while Moloney also thought it was likely even going into the championship rounds.

The win will now see the WBO champ chase a blockbuster unification bout with IBF superstar Emmanuel Rodriguez – the fighter who, ironically, beat him via a contentious split decision five years ago.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia immediately after the win, a “spent” Moloney revealed it had been the championship rounds that had got him home against Sanchez.

‘Mayhem’ also revealed the words he could be seen mouthing to himself as the scorecards were being read aloud.

“I was just saying ‘please … please … and still,” he said.

The Aussie also opened up on what was eight rounds battling a nasty head cut — which came in the third following an accidental head clash with Sanchez.

“The team did a great job with the cut but the blood, it was going into my eye,” Moloney said.

“There were a few head clashes throughout the fight – it was a brutal war – and you just have to deal with everything as best as you can.

“But it was hard.

“I was trying to wipe the blood whenever I could get a chance to see clearly.

“And he (Sanchez) could tell, too.

“He was trying to jump on me at times.

“But mentally before every fight, you prepare yourself to deal with anything — knockdown, injury, broken hand, head cut.

“I prepare myself for those moments so that when they do come I don’t panic, I stay composed and then work my way through it.

“And that’s what I did.

“I wiped the blood out and dealt with it as best as I could.”

Did plenty more, too.

Especially given Sanchez, in his first title fight, threw everything he had into a contest that several times descended into a phone booth war.

“And I left it all in the ring tonight,” Moloney said.

“I’m absolutely spent.

“I have the belt here with me in the room, that just makes it so special.”

Importantly, Moloney stressed it was the championship rounds where he also effectively proved himself the champion.

“When it got to round 10, I knew things were close,” he said backstage in his dressing room, surrounded by brother Andrew, coach Angelo Hyder and longtime manager Tony Tolj.

“I knew at that stage it could go either way.

“So I just said to myself ‘go show how badly you want this’.

“Then, the end of the eleventh I thought ‘yep, that’s mine, let’s do it again’.

“And for the twelfth, while he came out hard we got on top.

“We’ve seen the scorecards since, too — I won the eleventh with all three judges and then I won the twelfth with two of the three.

“So it was the championship rounds that got me home.

“And that’s why I train so hard.

“That’s why I make all the sacrifices and live the life of a proper professional.

“I’ve said how hungry I was for this one.

“He said I was overlooking him. I said I wasn’t.

“And I showed how hungry I am tonight.

“When it came down to who wanted it more, it was me.”

As a result, the win will now see Moloney chase a unification bout with Rodriguez, having conceded in fight week that the loss “still eats away at me”.

It means the 32-year-old will now ask Top Rank boss Bob Arum to make him that fight after beating an incredibly game Mexican-American challenger.

As first revealed by Fox Sports Australia, Arum has already discussed the idea of having Moloney defend in Australia as the co-main to a proposed IBF lightweight title showdown between Kambosos and Vasiliy Lomachenko in April or May.

Asked this week for his thoughts on earning revenge against Rodriguez, Moloney said: “That’s definitely one I need to get back before my career is done.

“It still eats away at me.

“Now that I’m a champion it’s not something I cry over, but still — whenever I watch that fight back — I think I won it.

“And what makes me want (the rematch) more is knowing how much I’ve improved since that fight.”

FULL FIGHT CARD & RESULTS

Callum Smith def by Artur Beterbiev (c) via TKO — for IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight world titles

Christian Mbilli def. Rohan Murdock via TKO — super middleweight

Jason Moloney (c) def. Saul Sanchez via MD — for WBO bantamweight world title

Imam Khataev def. Joaquin Murrieta Lucio via TKO — light heavyweight

Leila Beaudoin def. Elizabeth Espinoza via UD — super featherweight

Wilkens Mathieu def. Jose Arias Alvarez via UD — super middleweight

Mehmet Unal def. Dragan Lepei via TKO — light heavyweight

Christopher Guerrero def. Sergio Herrera via UD — welterweight

Moreno Fendero def. Victor Hugo Flores via KO — super middleweight