- Luis Alberto Lopez defeated Josh Warrington on Saturday night to win the IBF featherweight world title.
- Luis Alberto Lopez is the second person to hand Josh Warrington a defeat in his professional boxing career.
Mexican fighter Luis Alberto Lopez stunned Josh Warrington on Saturday night to win the IBF featherweight world title.
It was the first time that Josh Warrington was defending the IBF featherweight world title, which he won after defeating Spain’s Kiko Martinez in March 2022.
Josh Warrington had previously held the title between 2018 and January 2021.
Luis Alberto Lopez is the second person to hand Josh Warrington a defeat in his professional boxing career.
Josh Warrington and Luis Alberto Lopez exchange blows at First Direct Arena on Saturday night. Photo/ Sporting News.
The fight between Josh Warrington and Luis Alberto Lopez took place inside a packed First Direct Arena. The action was delayed a little bit as all eyes were on the World Cup quarter-final clash between England and France.
Lopez started the match impressively and was in control of the first rounds. Josh Warrington later began taking control of the fight, but his spirited comeback was not enough to help him defend his title.
Lopez was wild and reckless in the first round. His movement and aggression made things difficult for his opponent, who had home support.
Warrington’s nose was bloodied, but he tried his best to contain Lopez since a victory would have opened several doors for him.
The Brit took control of the fight, and a strong ninth looked like it was the turning point of the fight. He did his best in the final rounds, hurting Luis Alberto Lopez in the eleventh.
However, the Leeds fighter ended up losing his IBF featherweight title in front of a huge and vocal home crowd. The fans greeted the decision with boos.
Josh Warrington and Luis Alberto Lopez in action. Photo/ The Mirror.
Speaking after the bout, Josh Warrington said he understood the fight was close in stages and could have done more.
“I understand the fight was close in stages. He started off like a train and kept coming forward. I kept working inside and could hear him wincing to the body constantly. I look back and think I could have done more.” Josh Warrington told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Josh Warrington is now at a crossroads after losing to Luis Alberto Lopez, who was untested at the elite level. Despite retirement being a strong possibility, Josh is non-committal about his future.
The 32-year-old said he had aspirations of doing other things. He revealed his plans to go to the United States and will still do so even after the loss.
Josh Warrington believes he can still fight other champions at featherweight. The men who Warrington could face are WBC belt holder Rey Vargas, WBA (Super) belt holder Leo Santa Cruz and WBO champion Emanuel Navarrete.
If Josh had defended his title against Lopez, there was a possibility of an all-British featherweight title with WBA champion Leigh Wood.
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