NOTTINGHAM, England (AFP) - Carl Froch narrowly held on to his World Boxing Council (WBC) super-middleweight title in a split decision win over an elusive Andre Dirrell at the Trent FM Arena Nottingham on Sunday.

The Briton ended the unbeaten record of his American challenger as he made a second defence of his world title in his first fight as part of a global tournament to determine the best super-middleweight in the world over the next two years.

Froch stalked Dirrell around the ring but could not trouble his challenger until the latter rounds before he won by the judges? scores of 115-112, 115-112 to 114-113 against.

Dirrell?s breathtaking reflexes kept him out of trouble and Froch out of range, while his fast hands earned him the early rounds in a fight that lacked explosive action.

Froch extended his unbeaten record to 26 wins, while Dirrell suffered his first defeat in 19 fights.

It was also the boxers? first fight as part of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, a tournament organised by American TV broadcaster Showtime. Each boxer has three fights as part of the league format, before a semi-final and final in 2011.

Dirrell?s breathtaking reflexes and fast punches on the counter attack kept the fight close throughout and Froch was left frustrated as he tried in vain to catch the slick American, who was a bronze medallist at the 2004 Olympics.

"It was a very close and he had some very slick skills and was a good counter puncher and that coupled with his negativity meant it was always going to be a difficult night," said Froch after the fight.

Froch said it was Dirrell's fighting style that cost him.

"But to win the WBC title you can?t expect to steal a decision like he was trying to do, by hitting and running and complaining. I was in there to fight, and he wasn?t," he said.

"Judges don?t like to see fighters run and steal a fight without doing any work. I was the one trying to land shots and make it a fight.

Dirrell, 27, said felt he deserved the decision and insisted he should not have been penalised for holding by referee Hector Afu, from Panama, in the tenth round.

"I boxed well enough but didn?t get the decision," said Dirrell. "I still don?t know why the referee took the point off me in the tenth. Froch was rough the whole fight and the referee took the point away from me for leaning without a warning.

Froch, 32, was backed by a sell-out 8,000 crowd in his home city while Dirrell was fighting outside of America for the first time as a professional and in his first world title fight.

Froch is now looking forward to a potential world title unification clash with Denmark?s Mikkel Kessler, in his second bout of the league phase of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Kessler first faces American Andre Ward in California on November 21, and if he wins that bout then the fight with Froch will be for two versions of the world title.

"I will relish the fight with Mikkel Kessler and to be undisputed champion will be the pinnacle of what I want to achieve. He brings a war because that?s the sort of man he is, a man of my own stature," said Froch.

Dirrell next faces Germany-based Armenian Arthur Abraham, who knocked out American Jermain Taylor in the final moments of the last round also on Saturday night in Berlin.

"This loss is going to make me work harder because Arthur Abraham will be a tougher fight," added Dirrell.