Title on the line: Josh Warrington defends his IBF featherweight title against Luis Alberto Lopez in Leeds
(Picture: PA)Josh Warrington is back in the ring tonight, defending his IBF featherweight world title against Luis Alberto Lopez.
This is the second defence of the Leeds Warrior’s second title reign, having become a two-time champion with his seventh-round stoppage of veteran former foe Kiko Martinez in March.
Willed on by his adoring and vociferous home crowd for possibly the final time, Warrington is a firm favourite to retain his recovered gold at First Direct Arena and set up likely future unification battles and what he hopes will be high-profile contests across the Atlantic.
Another victory would help the 32-year-old put the Mauricio Lara saga firmly behind him and get fully back on track, though he should know better than to underestimate Mexican challengers.
Lopez is a former WBO champion at 126lbs and has won each of his last nine contests, including against Tyson Fury’s cousin and training partner Isaac Lowe at York Hall 12 months ago.
How to watch Warrington vs Lopez
TV channel and live stream: Warrington vs Lopez is being broadcast live on DAZN, with the app available on several platforms including smart televisions, tablets and mobiles. A subscription to the service currently costs £7.99 in the UK.
Coverage of ‘Before the Bell’ and an early undercard starts at 2:15pm GMT, with the main card then not beginning until around 9 - this break allowing fans inside the arena to watch England’s World Cup quarter-final against France in Qatar.
Ring walks for the main event are expected at approximately 10:30pm. As ever, those exact timings are subject to change.
