FIGHT WEEK
Kiko Martinez will defend his featherweight title against Josh Warrington on Saturday in Leeds, England, Warrington’s hometown.
Kiko Martinez (43-10-2, 30 KOs) vs. Josh Warrington (30-1-1, 7 KOs)
- Date: Saturday, March 26
- Time: 3 p.m. ET / noon PT (main event later in show)
- Where: First Direct Arena, Leeds, England
- TV/Stream: DAZN
- Cost: DAZN is $19.99 per month or $99.99 annually
- Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
- Rounds: 12
- At stake: Martinez’s IBC title
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: Warrington 3½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
- Also on the card: Maxi Hughes vs. Ryan Walsh, lightweights; Maria Cecilia Roman vs. Ebanie Bridges, bantamweights (for Roman’s IBF title); Dalton Smith vs. Roy Moylette, junior welterweights
- Prediction: Warrington SD
- Background: This bout is a rematch of the fighters’ May 2017 encounter, which Warrington won by a majority decision. Martinez, 36, shot down the notion that he is in decline by knocking out Kid Galahad in six rounds to win a major title in a second division this past November in Sheffield, England. The scrappy, hard-punching Spaniard had lost a wide decision to Zelfa Barrett only two fights earlier, raising questions about his future as an elite fighter. Warrington obviously is well connected. He went down twice and was stopped by relative unknown Mauricio Lara in the ninth round in February of last year. In the rematch, seven months later, he had to settle for a technical draw after Lara was cut badly by an accidental head butt. And he hasn’t won a fight in 2½ years. Still, he was given a shot at Martinez’s title. Warrington had been untouchable for several years before his ill-fated series with Lara, defeating Martinez, Lee Selby (to win a major title), Carl Frampton and Galahad, among others. Leeds is Warrington’s hometown.
