LIVE Kiko Martinez vs Josh Warrington: Follow our fight night blog here
- Seb Sternik
- 26 March 2022
Five years on from their first bout, Josh Warrington and Kiko Martinez go at it once more - this time, with the IBF featherweight championship at stake.
Following his underwhelming draw against Mauricio Lara, Josh Warrington is keen to put on a show in front of his home fans at First Direct Arena in Leeds.
However, in his path is the two-time world champion Kiko Martinez, who won the IBF belt following a spectacular knockout victory over Kid Galahad in Sheffield.
Here, Planet Sport brings you the latest action from the event, including the undercard. Make sure to refresh the page for the latest updates.
23:24 WARRINGTON IS BACK ON TOP OF THE WORLD
The fight has come to an end in the seventh round, with the referee putting a stop to the contest.
Warrington once again had Martinez up against the ropes, and pummelled the Spaniard until the referee put a stop to the fight.
The world championship is once again in the grasp of the 31-year-old!
23:17 Solid Warrington
Warrington shows his class with a number of accurate shots to the head. Martinez is still standing but the cut under his eye is becoming evermore concerning.
23:12 Against the ropes
Warrington has pushed Martinez against the ropes and dished out a number of solid shots. Martinez still struggling with the cut, but has thrown a couple of shots of his own.
The longer this goes, the more enthralling it becomes.
23:08 Calm in the midst of the storm
After a frantic opening six minutes, things are finally beginning to settle - somewhat, anyway.
Warrington has become more methodical as he looks to conserve energy. Martinez is also finding his feet, although a cut under his left eye is making things difficult.
23:04 The punishment keeps on coming
Another solid round from Warrington who continues to pummel his opponent in the second.
Blood is clearly visible on the face of Martinez, however the Spaniard did land the last punch of the round.
The defending champion won't give up his belts easily.
23:00 WHAT A START!
Josh Warrington has come out like a man possessed - possessed to win his title back! The fired-up former champion drops Martinez in the first after the Spaniard complained to the referee about a potential head clash!
Can Martinez recover, or is this the beginning of the end for the Spaniard?
22:53 HERE WE GO!
Leeds United's Luke Ayling walked Josh Warrington out to the ring as the capacity crowd gave him a hero's welcome.
The introductions are currently underway! Here we go!
22:40 Moments away from the main event
It's time for the fight we've all been waiting for! The atmosphere is continuing to build ahead of Josh Warrington's entrance.
His last two fights certainly didn't go to plan. However, the 31-year-old is intent on winning back his world title and he will undoubtedly feed off the home crowd.
Can Kiko Martinez spoil the part? He's done it once before in Sheffield, and he is certainly capable of doing so again.
The huge world title fight is just moments away!
22:31 NEW CHAMPION IS CROWNED!
Ebanie Bridges has been declared the winner, with the judges scoring the fight 100-91, 97-93, 97-93 in the Aussies favour.
Bridges takes the IBF world bantamweight championship belt to the delight of the crowd.
22:28 Tense wait for the scorecards
Huge round of applause after the tenth and final round. Both fighters are hoisted up by their trainers.
This is going to be a close one! Who's going home with the belt?
22:24 Heart of a champion
Bridges ends round eight with a brilliant combination. The ninth is an all-out war as both fighters go toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring.
Pure heart on display in these last few minutes.
22:19 Both fighters slowing the pace
Three fights have broken out in the crowd in as many minutes. Nevertheless, the action inside the ring continues with the tempo significantly slower than before.
It's still a close contest with two rounds to go.
22:13 Defending champion is kicking into gear
Roman's strategy is paying off if the fifth round is anything to go by.
The defending champion is beginning to regularly find the target. Bridges endured a number of stiff shots, but she's still fighting back. Can she keep it up in the second half of the fight? That will be the determining factor.
22:05 One way traffic, but for how long?
Intriguing start to this contest.
The opening three rounds have consisted of Bridges displaying incredible work rate and Roman simply blocking and daring her opponent to keep on punching.
The defending champion is hoping her Aussie opponent tires before the second half of the fight. Question is, if she keeps taking so much punishment, will she even make the second half of the fight?
Considering her level of experience, the answer is probably yes. This could turnout to be a clever tactic for the Argentine.
21:55 It's Blonde Bomber time!
The penultimate fight of the evening is here as Ebanie Bridges takes on Maria Cecilia Roman for the IBF world bantamweight championship!
The atmosphere has certainly gone up a few levels here in Leeds.
21:40 And still… Maxi Hughes retains
There's was no doubts about the final result. Ryan Walsh put on a very brave performance, but ultimately, he failed ask serious questions of the champion.
Hughes enjoyed a comprehensive advantage on all the scorecards, winning the fight 120-108, 119-109, 118-110.
A very polished performance from Hughes. No unnecessary risks. Question is, what's next for the Doncaster-based boxer?
21:31 Hughes on course for title defence
If a cut above the eye wasn't enough of an issue, Walsh has also been cut on the temple after a head clash in the tenth round.
Hughes is continuing to dictate proceedings in Leeds as he looks to make his first title defence, a successful one.
21:25 Cut worries for Walsh?
Walsh has received a bit of treatment for a cut above his left eye.
That doesn't come as much of a surprise considering Hughes is enjoying a lot more success in this fight.
With six minutes to go, Walsh will need to pull off something special in order to take the belt back to Ireland.
21:17 Hughes going about his business
Rounds five to eight haven't produced a lot of thrilling action, however Hughes has been going about his business well and looks on course for the win.
The defending champion is connecting well, while Walsh is yet to land anything significant.
21:06 Advantage Hughes
Maxi Hughes is looking good in rounds three and four.
The Doncaster fighter landed a big right hand in the third before producing a number of solid combinations in the fourth.
There's a big roar from the crowd as the big screen shows Josh Warrington preparing for the main event!
20:49 Maxi Hughes vs Ryan Walsh
Our first world title fight is underway!
Maxi Hughes, who is defending his world crown for the very first time, takes on Ryan Walsh who is going up two weight divisions.
The champion hails from Doncaster and has the capacity crowd on his side. However, his Irish opponent is an experienced customer, which should make for an enthralling contest.
20:30 Comfortable win for Smith
Dalton Smith turns on the style in the 10th and final round to get the job done. The 25-year-old dropped Moylette twice, with the Irishman's corner deciding to throw in the towel.
Moylette was left furious with his corner's decision, but their call was understandable considering the fight was already lost and there was little to gain from the remainder of the round.
Up next, its Maxi Hughes vs Ryan Walsh!
20:24 ANOTHER low blow!
Round eight has seen a second stoppage for a low blow punch on Moylette.
A feeling of frustrations grows around the arena, but it hasn't stopped Smith from making further progress.
The 25-year-old is still looking strong as we head into the final stage of the bout. Can he force a stoppage?
20:16 Moylette goes DOWN, but it's not a knockdown
Moylette was sent down to the canvas in round seven but the referee judged it to be a low blow and as a result, he gave the Irishman a chance to recover.
Smith is consistently connecting and looks the better fighter. Moylette is struggling to get something going and could be in trouble if the fight continues to go in this direction.
20:08 Smith's corner delighted
The fourth round was certainly more to Smith's liking - and his corner.
The Sheffield-based boxer is beginning to land some serious shots on his opponent. A flurry of combinations, including a couple of stiff uppercuts, made their way through Moylette's defence.
Question is, can he maintain his momentum and back it up with another strong round?
20:04 Things beginning to get interesting
Very interesting end to the fourth round.
Smith picked up the pace in the final minute and connected with a couple of swift combinations. However, Moylette was quick to respond just before the bell.
The Irishman is proving to be a tricky customer.
20:00 Moylette's keeping the crowd quiet
Three rounds in and all we can say is that this is developing into a close contest. We expected Moylette to cause Smith problems and he's doing just that.
Smith has produced some nice combinations but does appear to be bleeding from his right ear.
As things stand, this is shaping up to be a close one!
19:48 Dalton Smith vs Ray Moylette
Dalton Smith wants to become a top super-lightweight contender in the next few years. If he is to do just that, he'll need a big win here over Ireland's Ray Moylette.
The Sheffield-based boxer certainly has the Yorkshire crowd on his side.
Big fight coming up!
19:32 Nicolson delivers in Leeds
Bec Connolly survived to hear the final bell, but there's absolutely no doubt about the winner of this contest.
Skye Nicolson put on a classy display, produced a number of big shots and earned a 60-54 decision on the scorecard.
All in all, it was a solid performance from the Aussie who takes in the well-earned applause from the fans.
19:25 Nicolson still on top
Four rounds in, and not much has changed. Connolly is still taking a lot of punishment as Nicolson looks for the killer blow.
There is a slight cut on the cheek of Connolly as her opponent continues to dish out heavy right hands.
19:19 Skye dominating
The first two rounds have consisted of Skye Nicolson unleashing a lot of punishment on her opponent.
The Aussie is fighting with her hands down low and is beginning to seriously hurt her opponent. Connolly needs to find something otherwise this one won't last long.
19:14 Skye Nicolson vs Bec Connolly
Big night for Skye Nicolson who takes on Bec Connolly in just her second professional bout.
The Australian, who is a 2020 Olympian, will be looking to make a strong impression on a big stage.
19:00 Rest of the night
Here are the remaining fights on the card in chronological order…
Skye Nicolson vs Bec Connolly
Dalton Smith vs Ray Moylette
Maxi Hughes vs Ryan Walsh
Ebanie Bridges vs Maria Cecilia Roman
Kiko Martinez vs Josh Warrington
18:54 O'Regan gets the job done
Another solid display from Cory O'Regan earns him his sixth professional career victory.
The 26-year-old had no problems when it came to finding the target, and he was ultimately rewarded with a 60-54 decision.
Some, however, will question whether he was really tested by Laskowski, who struggled to land throughout the six rounds.
Time for a step-up in opposition?
18:27 Cory O'Regan vs Jakub Laskowski
It's time for the third fight which feature as another hometown boxer. Cory O'Regan enters this fight with an unblemished perfect record of five fights and five victories. He will be looking for another impressive outing when he takes on Poland's Jakub Laskowski.
The Pole has won just four of his 20 professional bouts. He could be in for a long night here against O'Regan.
18:21 Bragging rights go to Wright
After a close four-round contest, it's the Leeds-based Mali Wright who has his hand raised.
The judge scores the bout 39:38 in favour of the hometown boxer.
The fight almost came to an early end as Wright landed a big right hand in the final second. Palmer held on to hear the final bell but he does suffer his first professional defeat.
18:00 Mali Wright vs Luis Palmer
Next up we have a light-heavyweight contest between Leeds-based Mali Wright and Huddersfield-based Luis Palmer.
Both fighters met back in February with the bout ending in a draw. We already have one exciting rematch later on in the night. But can this one steal the show?
17:46 Two rounds was all it took
In the end, Calum French picks up a convincing victory as Turco's corner throw the towel in just the second round.
The crowd goes wild as their home favourite has his arm raised by the referee. The 26-year-old was never troubled and looked assured from the opening bell onwards.
The future is certainly bright for the 2017 European Championship bronze medallist.
17:35 The show begins
First on the card is a bout between Calum French and Angelo Turco.
This might be just the first fight on the card, but French has certainly brought with him sizable support.
The 26-year-old will be eyeing just his second professional victory.
