Leigh Wood puts his WBA 'regular' featherweight title on the line against Michael Conlan at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham on Saturday night.
Wood will have a home crowd cheering him on, but Leigh-thal is not the betting favourite. The champion is a 5/4 shot, with Ireland’s Conlan rated a 4/7 chance.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Saturday's showdown.
Where and when is the Wood v Conlan fight?
The fight will be staged in Wood's home town of Nottingham at the Motorpoint Arena. The fight will take place on Saturday, 12th March and the fighters are expected to enter the ring at 22:15 UK time.
Where can I watch the Wood v Conlan fight?
The fight will be shown live on streaming service DAZN.
What are the records of the fighters?
Wood caused a major shock when uprooting WBC 'regular' champion Xu Can last year.
The Nottingham puncher wasn't expected to be walking away with the title, at Matchroom's Fight Camp, but Leigh-thal is big at the weight, carries plenty of power and he stopped the Chinese champion in the twelfth round.
Wood has won 15 of his 25 professional bouts by knockout and that includes when beating Abraham Osei Bonsu to claim the Commonwealth feather title in 2019.
The Nottingham man then went on to compete in the Golden Contract event, which featured a strong line-up of domestic-level fighters.
Wood cruised through the semi-final of that event, but he came up short against a determined Jazza Dickens in the final. Dickens went on to challenge Kid Galahad for the IBF title, so there's no shame in that defeat, and Wood's only other loss came against former world champion Gavin McDonnell.
Conlan has yet to taste defeat in 16 bouts as a pro and he has spent much of his time boxing in America.
The Belfast Banger scored a good knockout win over the experienced Sofiane Takoucht in 2020 and his best two victories have come in his most recent contests.
Mick beat the decent Ionut Baluta at London's York Hall last year and he then went on to outpoint TJ Doheny in Belfast.
Conlan was an excellent amateur and he won gold at the 2015 World Championships. That's evident in his style as a pro and he is a slick and skillful fighter.
Related Boxing News
Boxing: All you need to know about Jose Carlos Ramirez v Jose Pedraza
Boxing: All you need to know about Tyson Fury v Dillian Whyte
Boxing: The Greatest - British boxers: Amir Khan
UFC: The Greatest - UFC champions: Anderson Silva
Wood v Conlan predictions
Conlon has a fantastic amateur pedigree, but professional boxing is a different game and he may find the heavy-hitting Wood too much to handle.
The Belfast man hasn't been in the ring with anyone near the level of Wood, he was troubled a few times by Baluta and he has to prove he can take the power of what will be coming in his direction in Nottingham.
Conlan may be able to keep this fight at range and use his skill in the early part of the fight, but Wood’s strength, size and power may take over as the bout progresses. The Nottingham man should probably be the favourite for this fight and at 5/4 he looks a good bet.
Discover more from the world's favourite online betting brand
Latest sports betting and odds
Head to the bet365 YouTube channel for exclusive boxing content
