Leigh Wood will defend his WBA Featherweight title against Mauricio Lara at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Saturday 24 September.
Leigh won the title back in 2021 against Xu Can. Wood successfully defended the belt against Michael Conlan in dramatic style.
The bout with Conlan will unquestionably go down as one of the fights of the year.
Throughout the fight, Wood looked down and out, before earning a sensational win.
Rumoured to fight Leo Santa Cruz, the fight, unfortunately, didn’t materialise. and will now be facing Lara.
With 17 professional wins coming by knockout, Lara is coming off a win against Emilio Sanchez back in March.
Leigh Wood Set to Defend His WBA Featherweight Title on Home Soil
When interviewed, Wood said: “I maybe have a handful of fights left and I want them to be my biggest. I want to be tested. I’m filling arenas now and I want to keep that momentum going. Every fight should be a step forward, not backwards. Mauricio Lara is dangerous but high-risk high reward, I’m confident I can do what Josh Warrington couldn’t do and get the job done.”
Set to take place in his home city of Nottingham, Wood will be looking forward to defending the belt in front of his fans.
As for his opponent, Lara will be aiming to shock the world.
“I’m very excited,” said Lara. “This is the opportunity that I have worked so hard for and I am not going to miss it. I am aware that Leigh Wood is a great fighter, but no one is going to take away the possibility of me becoming a World Champion. I’m going to England for the third time and it’s like I’m fighting at home.”
Speaking on the announcement, promoter Eddie Hearn said: “This is an unbelievable fight and Leigh Wood has massive cojones for stepping up to the plate again in Nottingham. Last time out he gave us one of the most dramatic fights for many years and fans can expect all the drama again on September 24. It’s a huge card with Terri Harper stepping up the divisions attempting to become a two-division champion against Hannah Rankin and a brilliant Yorkshire derby for the IBO title between Maxi Hughes and Kid Galahad with lots more to be announced. Expect another incredible atmosphere at the Nottingham Arena on September 24.”
Featured image credits to: Embed from Getty Images
Featured image credits to: Embed from Getty Images
