Two of the best featherweights in the sport will square off two weeks before Christmas when Josh Warrington defends his IBF featherweight title against Luis Alberto Lopez. Warrington (31-1-1 with eight knockouts) is a two-time champion in this division, while Alberto Lopez (26-2 with 15 knockouts) is looking to claim his first major title.
On Saturday, December 10, 2022, Josh Warrington will look to successfully defend his IBF featherweight title against challenger Luis Alberto Lopez at First Direct Arena in Leeds, United Kingdom. This bout will be broadcast on DAZN from First Direct Arena in Leeds, United Kingdom.
When: Saturday, December 10, 2022
Where: First Direct Arena, Leeds, United Kingdom
Why: IBF featherweight title fight
Josh Warrington vs Luis Alberto Lopez Betting Odds
Josh Warrington -140
Luis Alberto Lopez +110
This is expected to be a very even fight. Josh Warrington is a slight favorite by the boxing betting odds as he has had more success in his career. However, Luis Alberto Lopez is no slouch, and he will be looking to win his first major title.
As the fight nears, there will be decision betting too. You will be able to bet on whether the fight is decided by KO, TKO, or decision, and you can bet on which boxer will win the fight in that fashion as well.
Josh Warrington vs Luis Alberto Lopez Preview
The Leeds Warrior will be fighting at home on Saturday night. Josh Warrington will have the crowd at his back as he looks to retain his IBF featherweight championship. Warrington turned pro on Halloween weekend in 2009, and he won his first 30 fights.
Warrington claimed the English featherweight title in November 2012 with a unanimous decision victory over Chris Male. He defended that belt twice before taking on Samir Mouneimne for the Commonwealth featherweight title in November 2013, and he claimed that title with a 12th round TKO. Warrington went on to add the British featherweight title and the European heavyweight title within the next year, and his WBC International titles eventually led to a title fight against Lee Selby.
We saw Warrington lift his first major title with a split decision victory over Selby to win the IBF featherweight title in May 2018. He defended that belt three times before falling to unknown Mauricio Lara just one month after relinquishing his title. Warrington was a -3300 favorite by the boxing betting odds in that bout, and his inability to defeat Lara is what makes him only a slight favorite heading into this match with Luis Alberto Lopez.
It took much longer for Luis Alberto Lopez to make a name for himself as a professional fighter. Alberto Lopez lost a split decision to Abraham Montoya in March 2018, and he lost a unanimous decision to Ruben Villa for the WBO International featherweight title in May 2019. His victory over Ray Ximenez was due to a technical decision after a head clash, and he has faced a string of largely marginal boxers since that point.
Alberto Lopez has at least been impressive during his nine-fight winning streak. Four of his nine wins have been by knockout in the first two rounds, and seven of those victories have come by knockout. The only real hiccup was a split decision win over Andy Vences in July 2020.
Warrington is the more experienced fighter by a landslide. He has faced a much tougher slate of opponents during his career, and he has a half-inch reach advantage over Alberto Lopez. He should have more power than his opponent too, even though Alberto Lopez has won a much greater percentage of his fights by knockout. This is a greatly discounted price on Warrington due to his recent struggles, so it’s worth betting on him due to the value seen here.
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