Leigh "Leigh-thal" Wood (26-2, 16 KOs) defends his WBA featherweight title against Mauricio Lara (25-2-1, 18 KOs) at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham in the UK.
Watch full card highlights: Watch on Youtube
Gedling-born Wood was initially scheduled to headline the card on September 24 at Motorpoint Arena, but the 34-year-old had to pull out due to an injury sustained in training.
In March 2022, "Leigh-thal" famously stopped Michael Conlan in the 12th and last round of his dramatic first defense of the WBA 126-pound title. The Irishman was brutally thrown from the ring to end their Fight of the Year shocker.
After previous "Super Champion" Leo Santa Cruz gave up his title on Monday, December 12 of 2022, Wood is now recognized as the lone Featherweight champion in the World Boxing Association, and Mauricio plans to make quick work of adding more world titles to his collection in 2023.
Lara is well-known in the UK since in February 2021, at the SSE Arena in Wembley, he stunned and mercilessly defeated Josh Warrington to end the unbeaten streak of the IBF Featherweight World Champion.
“I have been waiting for this opportunity for 2 years and I am not going to waste it,” he said. “In 2021, I beat Warrington in England, now in 2023 I will do the same with Wood. The WBA world title goes to Mexico, which I promised to my daughter, my family, my team, and to my whole country. Your time has come Leigh Wood, no “injury” can save you now from this.”
Main card: 2 pm ET
▪️Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara, 12 rounds, for Wood’s WBA featherweight title ▪️Dalton Smith vs. Billy Allington, 12 rounds, for Smith’s British super lightweight title ▪️Gary Cully vs. Wilfredo Flores, 12 rounds, for vacant WBA Intercontinental lightweight title ▪️Cheavon Clarke vs. Israel Duffus, 10 rounds, cruiserweight ▪️Gamal Yafai vs. Diego Alberto Ruiz, 10 rounds, super bantamweight
Before the bell: 11:15 am ET
▪️Kieron Conway vs. Jorge Silva, 8 rounds, super middleweight ▪️Junaid Bostan vs. Peter Kramer, 6 rounds, super welterweight ▪️Sam Maxwell vs. Shaun Cooper, 6 rounds, super lightweight ▪️Aaron Bowen vs. Mathieu Gomes, 6 rounds, middleweight
