Josh Warrington regained his IBF featherweight crown with a stunning performance to beat Kiko Martinez at the First Direct Arena in his home city of Leeds on Saturday night. It was a masterclass from Warrington, who produced an explosive performance in an electric atmosphere to regain the belt he vacated at the start of 2021.
The Leeds Warrior was bouncing back from a difficult 2021 and flew out of the blocks, causing huge damage to his opponent and managing to cut both eyes of the Spaniard which raised concerns of the doctors. However, it was a professional showing from Martinez who rallied back into the fight and looked dangerous coming back into the fight.
While it looked as though Martinez was capable of landing a hammer blow at any stage, the emotion of the crowd spurred the Leeds man forward as he landed a seventh round barrage to claim the IBF Featherweight championship of the world. Next up for the 32-year-old could be a unification fight with Leigh Wood which would be a tantalising prospect for British boxing fans.
