Michael Conlan was stopped in devastating fashion at the hands of IBF Featherweight World Champion, Luis Alberto Lopez, at the SSE Arena in Belfast.
Lopez won the belt from Josh Warrington in Leeds back in December of 2022 – a twelve round performance that saw him frustrate and out-manoeuvre the home fighter to a majority decision. This, his first defence, was in the lion’s den once more.
Conlan – who was wronged as an amateur and came agonisingly close to the WBA Regular belt against Leigh Wood last year – had his hometown crowd in its usual furore.
He came out in his southpaw stance putting some effort into the body of a fast-starting and clearly dangerous Lopez. He had some success in making the Mexican miss, but perhaps not often enough. A close opener.
Again, good head movement on show from Conlan in the second, but when Lopez did land it was sharp and strong. He managed to force the Mexican onto the back foot, though, taking momentum and landing some heavy shots.
Lopez landed a blistering combo to start the third, not deterred by the Arena’s cauldron atmosphere. Conlan continued the body work, hoping to slow the Mexican down as the pair danced from one side of the ring to the other.
The champion landed a right uppercut and Conlan staggered back in big trouble. He ducked his head and was met by another as his brother, Jamie, screamed instructions from ringside. Survival, but just.
In the fourth, Lopez’ first title defence looked well in his favour. He smiled when Conlan landed a body shot, and his were the punches with much more power behind them. Conlan took a left hand and touched the canvas after trying to hold on, but it was ruled a slip.
It was heartbreak in Belfast in the fifth. As before, an uppercut thrown just as Conlan ducked his head saw him out on his back. The towel was thrown into the air as he landed – a good decision from Adam Booth with his fighter’s health put well before any hype. The fan-favourite featherweight was treated by the ringside doctors for the second time in not much over twelve months.
Brutal pic.twitter.com/gorV8AtRAo
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 27, 2023
Lopez is a fantastic Mexican champion who was won and now defended his belt in enemy territory in captivating style. As for Mick Conlan, it’s anguish and despair that will not be going anywhere anytime soon. Credit to him for fighting the way he did.
Elsewhere on the card, Nick Ball forced a stoppage in the final round against Ludumo Lamati. The South African was up for it for the duration, but looked almost out on his feet in the tenth – the referee intervening wouldn’t have been criticised by anybody, but, crucially, he let it go on. Lamati, bleeding from the ear, managed to show he was still there in the eleventh, but the first sign of danger in the twelfth and his towel came in.
He collapsed in his corner not long after, and received oxygen from the ringside medical team before leaving the ring on a stretcher.
Anthony Cacace defended his IBO Super Featherweight strap against Poland’s Damian Wrzesinski, scoring a unanimous decision after growing into the fight against a game opponent. A successful first defence and no better place to do it, but one he would later admit wasn’t his best.
Super lightweight sensation, Pierce O’Leary delivered a statement first round stoppage against Romania’s Alin Florin Ciorceri. The Dubliner floored Ciorceri inside the first minute. He made the count, but a quick flurry to follow up and the referee had seen enough.