The 36-year-old Zavec (32 wins, 18 KO, 2 losses) fought bravely, but Thurman (19-0, 18 KO), 12 years his junior, outplayed him. All three judges at the Barclays centre gave the local 120 points and Zavec 108 points with every out of the 12 rounds going to Thurman.

"I did the maximum possible, but it wasn't enough. I have no excuse," Zavec said after losing the third bout of his career despite the advantage of loud support from his faithful fans in the 19,000 crowd at the Barclays centre.

He was somewhat surprised by the strength of the opponents' punches: "He had very accurate hits, which I lacked. I cannot be happy because I worked hard for success. Nor is this the reason to be depressed. My future career is not questionable, but I'll have to sit down and think about what next," Zavec said.

"It was a tough fight and I got my lesson," said Thurman, for whom this was only the second time in 20 bouts to go the distance and the first time to go past 8 rounds.

"I knew he's tough on defence...In wanted to box wise, I wanted a knockout, but he impressed me. He's a big fighter. The age difference meant nothing...he deserves my respect," said Thurman, who now got a chance to face the World Boxing Organization's (WBO) title holder Tim Bradley.

This is Zavec's second trip to the US that ended in disappointment, as he had to concede his International Boxing Federation (IBF) title to Andre Berto in Mississippi in September 2011, after the fight was stopped in the fifth round due to a cut above Zavec's right eye.

Zavec later faced Bethuel Uushona of Namibia in Maribor on 24 March 2012, winning that by unanimous decision to take the WBO intercontinental welterweight title, before undergoing an operation on his right elbow to clear loose cartilage in late May 2012.