Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara LIVE: Stream, latest updates and result tonight

Re-live all the action as Wood lost the WBA featherweight title to Lara in controversial fashion

Jake Paul says people don't think he's a 'real person' ahead of Tommy Fury fight

Leigh Wood suffered a controversial TKO loss in his hometown clash with Mauricio Lara on Saturday, as the towel came in after a knockdown in the seventh round.

Wood appeared to be leading five rounds to one as the main event crossed its midway point in Nottingham, but Lara produced a brutal left hook almost out of nowhere to floor the WBA featherweight champion late in Round 7. Wood beat the referee’s count, but the 34-year-old’s coach Ben Davison threw in the towel with approximately 10 seconds left in the frame.

Wood was quick to protest his trainer’s decision, while Mexican Lara celebrated his title win across the ring. When asked by DAZN whether he was okay to continue, Wood said: “Yeah, I’m a fighter, you know? I want to go until I can’t see anything anymore. [But with the knockdown], I made a mistake and I paid for it.”

The main event marked Wood’s first bout since his fight-of-the-year contender with Michael Conlan at the same arena in March 2022. That night, Wood recovered from a heavy knockdown at the bell in the first round, going on to knock out Conlan in the final frame.

Re-live updates from Wood vs Lara and the entire undercard in Nottingham.

Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara LIVE

• Mauricio Lara beats Leigh Wood in Round 7 as towel comes in
• Lara trailing on scorecards but knocks down Wood with heavy hook
• Wood beats referee’s count but towel comes in with seconds left in round

[18 February 2023 18:35 · Sports Staff]

Wood vs Lara LIVE

Ahead of YouTube star Jake Paul’s long-awaited boxing match with Tommy Fury, half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson, next weekend, check out our exclusive interview with Paul.

“I think people... they don’t think I’m a real person. And I think they judge me from my past a lot, versus looking at who I am today. I think, as humans, we naturally do that, so I get it.”

More here:

[18 February 2023 18:31 · Alex Pattle]

Wood vs Lara LIVE

Two more prelim results in the books!

Aaron Bowen wins his pro debut with a first-round stoppage of Mathieu Gomes at middleweight, after Junaid Boston’s seventh-round TKO of Peter Kramer at light-middleweight.

[18 February 2023 18:15 · Alex Pattle]

Wood vs Lara LIVE

In Indy Sport’s end-of-year boxing awards for 2022, Wood’s clash with Conlan secured wins in two categories – fight of the year and KO of the year.

Jack Rathborn on why it was fight of the year: “In a classic featherweight scrap in the cauldron that is the Nottingham Arena, Conlan jumped out to a lead with his speed, dropping the champion in the first round. But Wood, roared on by the home crowd, closed the gap and delivered an absolutely devastating 12th-round knockout. Conlan sunk into the ropes before “Lethal” drove him through them, sparking wild scenes of celebration, including the Nottingham man performing a Jurgen Klinsmann in the ring. The rematch could be among the most anticipated fights of 2023.”

Ollie Cooper on why the finish was KO of the year: “Talk about a comeback! Wood was all but done after a monster left hook caught him on the chin at the end of Round 1 and he was saved by the bell. While the narrative of the comeback in an epic 12-rounder is enough to rave about, the knockout itself is well worthy of this award. When it eventually came in Round 12, the finish was brutal, with a flurry of devastating right hands seeing Conlan stumble then dramatically fall through the ropes and out of the ring.”

[18 February 2023 17:58 · Alex Pattle]

Wood vs Lara LIVE

Here is the card for tonight, including the first couple of prelim results:

Leigh Wood will take on Mauricio Lara tonight (PA)

Leigh Wood (C) vs Mauricio Lara (WBA world featherweight title)

Dalton Smith (C) vs Billy Allington (British super-lightweight title)

Cheavon Clarke vs Israel Duffus (cruiserweight)

Gary Cully vs Wilfredo Flores (lightweight)

Gamal Yafai vs Diego Alberto Ruiz (super-bantamweight)

Aaron Bowen vs Mathieu Gomes (middleweight)

Junaid Boston vs Peter Kramer (light-middleweight)

Kieron Conway def. Jorge Silva (super-middleweight)

Sam Maxwell def. Shaun Cooper (super-lightweight)

[18 February 2023 17:46 · Alex Pattle]

Wood vs Lara LIVE

“Leigh Wood was seconds from losing his world title last March when he found the punches to send Michael Conlan flying from the ring.

“Wood retained his WBA featherweight title that night in Nottingham in the 12th round, Conlan landed in the arms of his father at ringside, and the scorecards revealed Wood was trailing on all three. It was dramatic, bloody and unforgiving; the respectable awards at the end of the year recognised both the fight and the brutal ending. It was the type of fight that can leave a deep toll on both men.

“It was also the fifth or sixth fight in succession where Wood had either started as the underdog or the fight was a genuine 50-50 clash. Wood is not and has never been in easy, simple and routine fights. And that is set to continue.

“Tonight, in the same Nottingham ring, Wood defends against Mauricio Lara in one of those rare fights where there is a guarantee of excitement – not just the expectation. It is also a fight that demands both boxers take ridiculous risks to leave the ring as the winner; it might last less than a round, but it will still be a classic.”

Read Steve Bunce’s preview of tonight’s main event:

[18 February 2023 17:29 · Alex Pattle]

Wood vs Lara LIVE

Leigh Wood fights Mauricio Lara in a main-event bout at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena tonight, as the hometown fighter defends the WBA featherweight title against the Mexican challenger.

Wood last fought in March at the same venue, as he retained the belt with a 12th-round knockout of Michael Conlan – a KO-of-the-year contender that came after the 34-year-old recovered from a knockdown and fought from behind on the scorecards. It was a third straight stoppage win for the Briton, who improved his record to 26-2 (16 KOs) in the process.

Meanwhile, Lara (25-2-1, 18 KOs) most recently competed in October, stopping Jose Sanmartin in the third round in Mexico City. The result marked the 24-year-old’s second consecutive third-round victory, and he will be seeking another early finish as he enters hostile territory this evening.