Frank Maloney has vowed to return to boxing as quickly as possible following the heart attack he suffered during John McDermott’s controversial points defeat by Tyson Fury last Friday night.

The boxing promoter was initially admitted to the Princess Royal Hospital in Bromley on Monday night after finding Irish boxer Darren Sutherland dead in his flat. Subsequent tests showed Maloney had suffered a heart attack but it has now been revealed it happened at ringside in Brentwood, after the promoter was angered by the result, branding referee Terry O'Connor a "disgrace to British boxing" for his scoring of the fight. The British Boxing Board of Control is to hold a hearing into the fight's outcome on 23 September

"I had no idea the heart attack had happened at the fight. I did have some chest pains and felt a bit unwell but I just put it down to the stress and excitement of what was happening.”

The promoter underwent an operation at King’s College Hospital yesterday but has vowed to return to the sport at the earliest opportunity.

"Doctors have told me that after some days of rest I will be fine and I cannot wait to return to work in the sport of boxing as soon as possible," Maloney added.

"I can guarantee I will be there at the headquarters of the British Boxing Board of Control on 23 September when they stage their hearing into what I believe was the total injustice of the McDermott result.

"Boxing is my life. I have had plenty of highs in the sport and plenty of lows as well. But nothing will ever compare to the shock and sorrow of finding Darren in his flat on Monday night."

Maloney was due to appear with the Sutherland, a bronze medallist at last year's Beijing Olympics, at a press conference on Tuesday to announce his next fight. Police are not treating the death of Sutherland as suspicious.