Josh Warrington returns to action in his home town of Leeds once again when he defends his IBF featherweight title against the dangerous Mexican Luis Alberto Lopez on Saturday night.
What: Josh Warrington v Luis Alberto Lopez
Where: Leeds First Direct Arena, Leeds, England
When: Just after 22:00, Saturday 10th December 2022
How to watch: DAZN
Odds: Josh Warrington 8/13, Luis Alberto Lopez 6/5, Draw 14/1
Warrington and Lopez face off on Saturday 10th December. It will be Warrington's first fight since March when he beat Kiko Martinez inside seven rounds, while Lopez was last seen in the ring when he got the better of Yeison Vargas in San Diego in August.
The eagerly-anticipated Warrington versus Lopez showdown is set to get underway just after 22:00 UK time with the ring walks due just beforehand.
Warrington is firmly on home territory as his clash with Lopez is taking place in his hometown of Leeds at the 12,000 capacity First Direct Arena.
It's a venue the 32-year-old West Yorkshireman knows like the back of his hand as he's fought there previously 12 times - winning on each occasion from his first appearance there against Martin Lindsay in May 2014, right up until his last fight in March against Martinez.
Warrington will obviously have the backing of the vociferous local fans, potentially handing him the edge on the night as he bids to defend his proud, long unbeaten record in his home city.
The scrap between Warrington and Lopez is available to watch on subscription streaming service DAZN.
Warrington is rated as the 8/13 favourite to win the bout, but he will not be taking anything for granted as Lopez is a 6/5 chance to come out on top. The draw is on offer at 14/1.
The Englishman is 9/2 to win by TKO, KO or Disqualification, the Mexican is 5/2 to prevail in the same market, while a Warrington win by Decision or Technical Decision is 5/4 and the same method of victory for Lopez is on offer to punters at 9/2.
Boxing Tonight: Upcoming fights including Fury vs Chisora & Warrington vs Lopez
Yes, Warrington is putting his IBF featherweight title on the line, a belt the Leeds fighter regained when he overcame Martinez last time.
Warrington's overall impressive professional record reads: 33 fights, 31 victories, one defeat and one draw.
After winning his first 30 fights, a run that included victories over the likes of Lee Selby, Carl Frampton and Kid Galahad, the Englishman's only loss came against Mauricio Lara in February 2021 when he was knocked out in the ninth round at the SSE Arena in London.
After that shock defeat, the two subsequently arranged a rematch, which took place at Headingley Stadium in Leeds in September of last year, but the bout was declared a technical draw after just two rounds due to a bad cut Lara sustained above his left eye following a head clash.
Warrington knows this is another stiff test and will have read with interest Lopez's recent comments about the Leeds star. Lopez was quoted last month as saying: "I know he's a great fighter, but he messes up" as he attempted to make a case for what would be a shock win for the underdog.
Lopez has a similarly fine record, losing just two of his 28 bouts and winning the other 26, 15 of which have come via knockout.
Lopez's last defeat came back in May 2019 against Ruben Villa but he bounced back superbly from that setback to win his next nine fights.
Successes over Isaac Lowe, Raul Chirino and, last time out, Yeison Vargas, in the past 12 months have set up this chance against Warrington in what is expected to be the Mexican's biggest test of his career to date.
On what could be an exciting Saturday night in Leeds, Liverpudlian James Metcalf goes up against American Courtney Pennington on the undercard, while Ebanie Bridges and Shannon O’Connell also go head-to-head in an intriguing all-Australian contest.
We use cookies to deliver a better and more personalised service. For more information, see our Cookie Policy