In his backyard of Nottingham, England, Leigh Wood is salivating at the idea of proving he is the best featherweight in the world. He defends his title and home turf against the young power-punching Mauricio Lara on February 18.
The fight for Wood’s WBA featherweight title will be inside the Motorpoint Arena. It was meant for late 2022, but Wood suffered a torn bicep while sparring, delaying the bout to now. Wood has waited long enough and will finally get his hands on the 24-year-old Lara.
“Mauricio Lara has made things personal between us with the disrespect he showed me regarding my injury and my country,” said Wood. “I’m going to show him what I’m all about. See you on February 18 Nottingham – And Still!”
Wood beat Xu Can in 2021 for the WBA title. His last fight was a dramatic TKO win against Michael Conlan in March.
Lara is known for beating high-profile superstars, taking down Josh Warrington in February. Since drawing with Warrington in the rematch, Lara has won two in a row via knockout. He took out Jose Sanmartin via knockout in October.
MORE: Watch Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara on DAZN
“I have been waiting for this opportunity for two years, and I am not going to waste it,” said Lara. “In February 2021, I beat Warrington in England, now, in 2023, I will do the same with Wood. The WBA 126lbs World Title goes to Mexico, that I promised to my daughter, my family, my team, and to my whole country. Your time has come Leigh Wood, no “injury” can save you now from this.”
Outside of the main event, there are several high-profile fights on the card. The Sporting News looks into the entire undercard of Wood vs. Lara.
Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara undercard
Dalton Smith vs. Billy Allington
- Division/Weight: Super-lightweight
- Smith record: 13-0
- Allington record: 10-1-4
- Belts at stake: British Boxing Board of Control British super-lightweight title
Dalton Smith faces Billy Allington for the British Boxing Board of Control British super-lightweight title in the co-main event. A gold medalist in the 2018 ABA Championships, Smith (13-0) turned pro in 2019. In 2021 he beat Lee Appleyard for the English super-lightweight title. That same year, he won the WBA Intercontinental super-lightweight title.
In August 2022, Smith beat Sam O’maison for the BBBofC British super-lightweight title. His last fight was a unanimous decision win in November against Kaisee Benjamin.
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Allington (10-1-4) turned pro in 2016. He beat Jumaane Camero in 2021 for the BBBofC Southern Area super-lightweight title. In his last fight in November, Allington fought Ben Fields to a points draw.
Gary Cully vs. Wilfredo Flores
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Cully record: 15-0
- Flores record: 10-0-1
- Belts at stake: WBA Inter-Continental lightweight title
Gary Cully faces Wilfredo Flores for the WBA Inter-Continental lightweight title. A 2013 European Youth Championships gold medalist, Cully (15-0) turned pro in 2017. In 2020 he beat Joe Fitzpatrick for the Irish lightweight title. A European lightweight champion, Cully’s last fight was a TKO win against Jaouad Belmehdi in October.
Flores (10-0-1) turned pro in 2015. After fighting Jonathan Martinez to a draw in 2021, he rebounded with a win against Victor Beancourt Jr. in March 2022. The win earned him the WBA Fedecentro lightweight title.
Cheavon Clarke vs. Dec Spelman
- Division/Weight: Cruiserweight
- Clarke record: 4-0
- Spelman record: 19-6
- Belts at stake: None
In cruiserweight action, Cheavon Clarke faces Dec Spelman. A bronze medalist in the 2019 European Games, Clarke (4-0) won all four of his fights in 2022. With a 100% knockout-to-win ratio, Clarke last fought in November, beating Jose Ulrich via TKO.
Spelman (19-6) turned pro in 2014. He is 3-1 in his last four fights. “Kid Nytro” last fought in December, beating Lamah Griggs via points.
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Gamal Yafai vs. Diego Alberto Ruiz
- Division/Weight: Junior-featherweight
- Yafai record: 19-2
- Ruiz record: 23-6-1
- Belts at stake: None
Gamal Yafai faces Diego Alberto Ruiz in junior-featherweight action. A 2010 European Championships bronze medalist, Yafai (19-2) turned pro in 2014. In 2016 he beat Bobby Jenkinson for the Commonwealth super-bantamweight title. A WBC International super-bantamweight champion, Yafai had his undefeated streak snapped by Gavin McDonnell in March. Since then, he has gone 5-1.
Yafai last fought in June 2022, beating Sean Cairns via TKO.
Ruiz (23-6-1) turned pro in 2014. Primarily fighting in Argentina, Ruiz lost to Michael Conlan in Belfast in 2019. Since then, he has gone 2-3-1. In his last fight in October, Ruiz lost to Thato Bonokoane for the WBF bantamweight title.
When is Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara?
- Date: Saturday, February 18 | Sunday, February 19
- Main card: 2 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. GMT | 6 a.m. AEDT
- Main event: 5 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT (approx.)
Leigh Wood and Mauricio Lara fight on February 18. The main card starts at 2 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. GMT | 6 a.m. AEDT. Wood and Lara should make their way to the ring around 5 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
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How to watch Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. February 18 | DAZN |
| United Kingdom | Sat. February 18 | DAZN |
| Australia | Sun. February 19 | DAZN |
The Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara fight card will be available via DAZN.
MORE: Watch Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara on DAZN
Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara price: How much does the card cost?
- DAZN monthly subscription: $19.99, $24.99 in Canada, £7.99 in the U.K., 13.99 AUD
- DAZN annual subscription: $149.99, $199.99 in Canada
To watch Wood vs. Lara, you can either pay for a DAZN monthly subscription ($19.99) or an annual subscription ($149.99). In Canada, a DAZN monthly subscription is $24.99, while an annual subscription is $199.99.
In Australia, it costs 13.99 AUD a month. It costs £7.99 for a monthly subscription in the U.K.