Leeds boxer Josh Warrington loses IBF Featherweight title

Josh Warrington lost his IBF Featherweight World Title bout at the First Direct Arena in Leeds Credit: PA Images

Leeds warrior Josh Warrington suffered only the second defeat of his career last night when Luis Alberto Lopez put on a superb display to claim the IBF featherweight title.

It ends Warrington's hopes of a unification fight in 2023 and further spoiled the party after the main event had been delayed by England's World Cup quarter-final defeat to France.

Despite an electric ringwalk and atmosphere at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, it was Lopez who made the stronger start and he was able to draw blood from the nose of Warrington during the opening round.

Warrington started to find his range in the middle section of the fight and produced a big left hook in the sixth round.

While one of the scorecards went with a 114-114 draw, the other two were 115-113 in favour of Lopez to give the 29-year-old the biggest victory of his career.

Luis Alberto Lopez celebrates victory over Leeds' Josh Warrington Credit: PA Images

Warrington told DAZN: "I'm absolutely devastated losing my title like that but I want to say a big thank you to all these for making noise, so thank you.

"I did have aspiration of doing other things. Obviously I wanted to go to the United States and I still want to do that. Maybe unifying is a step too far but I think I can still fight one of the other champions. Obviously I would have the rematch as well because I thought I was a little hard done by there."