Dangerous Mexican contender Luis Alberto Lopez will seek to replicate his sensational British debut when he takes on IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, on December 10. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be streamed globally by DAZN.
In December 2021, Lopez (26-2, 15 KOs) faced the then-unbeaten Isaac Lowe at London’s famous York Hall in a world title eliminator. Lowe, the younger cousin of heavyweight king Tyson Fury, was stunned inside the opening 20 seconds by a left-hook knockdown, and the writing was immediately on the wall. The Mexican floored Lowe again with a right hand in the second and seized the knockout in Round 7 with a brutal left hook to the body.
Who is Luis Alberto Lopez?
Lopez, 29, is now the IBF No. 1 contender and a potential banana skin for the experienced Warrington. The native of Mexicali, Baja California, turned professional in November 2015 and fought his way through the fiery local arenas of his home city to emerge as a serious contender.
The only setbacks that the challenger has experienced in his career have come via competitive decision, to Abraham Montoya (SD 10) and the highly touted Ruben Villa (UD 10). Over the past three-and-a-half years, Lopez has put together a nine-fight winning streak and he’s stopped seven of those opponents inside the distance.
MORE: Join DAZN to watch Josh Warrington vs. Luis Alberto Lopez
Warrington (31-1-1, 8 KOs) knows from experience how dangerous these Mexican warriors can be. In February 2021, the Leeds star put his unbeaten record on the line against Mauricio Lara in a non-title bout in London. It proved to be a shattering experience. Warrington was hurt early, dropped in Round 4, and knocked out in the ninth. A direct rematch, which took place seven months later, ended prematurely when Lara was cut by a clash of heads.
The champion will be hoping for no such drama on Saturday.
“[Lopez has] been the mandatory challenger for about a year now,” Warrington told talkSPORT in a recent interview. “He’s short in height, he’s known for his punching power, and he’s full of beans. He’s been busy on social media, sending me messages constantly, and he’s very confident.
“You’ve always got to be careful with these wild opponents because they can bring anything from anywhere. It’s one of them where you switch off for a split second, you could have your back on the canvas. And also, when people don’t really know too much about him, it always adds a bit more pressure because they expect you to win. You’ve still got a man who wants to be in your position.”
As the Lowe triumph proved, Lopez carries power in both hands and he’s got a versatile offense. If there is a downside, the Mexican contender can be a bit crude and he neglects defence when he opens up. Following the first two knockdowns against Lowe, he attacked with abandon and left himself open to some sharp counters. Should he make that mistake against a fighter of Warrington’s calibre, he’ll surely be made to pay.
Also, since defeating Lowe, the challenger has stayed busy in routine stoppage wins over journeymen, which is not ideal preparation ahead of your first world title bout. Conversely, Warrington is coming off a rousing seventh-round stoppage of Kiko Martinez to reclaim his IBF crown in a career-defining triumph. And while Warrington sustained a broken jaw in that fight, he’s fully healed, and motivated by the possibility of unification fights at 126 pounds.
Mexico is a renowned boxing hotbed, as evidenced by the fact that three of The Ring’s top-rated featherweights hail from that country. Will Lopez join Rey Vargas, Lara, and Emanuel Navarrete as yet another elite-level Mexican star in a talent-splashed division or will Warrington’s experience and underrated ring savvy be too much to overcome?
Who is Luis Alberto Lopez fighting?
The 32-year-old Josh Warrington (31-1, 8 KOs) is a two-time featherweight champion and a sporting icon in his home city of Leeds.
“The Leeds Warrior” holds career-defining triumphs over Kiko Martinez (MD 12, TKO 7) Lee Selby (SD 12), Carl Frampton (UD 12), and Kid Galahad (SD 12).
The defeat to Lara was a shocker, but Warrington had been extremely inactive (due to the pandemic) and didn’t look himself on fight night. His subsequent victories and world title win suggest that his fires have been rekindled.
Warrington is currently rated No. 5 by The Ring at 126 pounds.
When is Josh Warrington vs. Luis Alberto Lopez?
- Date: Saturday, December 10
- Start time: 8 a.m. ET | 1.30 p.m. GMT | 12.30 a.m. (December 11) AEDT
- Main event: 4 p.m. ET | 9 p.m. GMT | 8 a.m. (December 11) AEDT (approx.)
Warrington vs. Lopez takes place on December 10. The main card is set to begin around 4 p.m. ET | 9 p.m. GMT | 8 a.m. (December 11) AEDT. Warrington and Lopez are set to make their way to the ring around 5.35 p.m. ET | 10.35 p.m. GMT | 9.35 a.m. (December 11) AEDT (approx.), depending on how long the undercard fights last.
The preliminary fights will run from 1.30 p.m. local time until shortly before 7 p.m., when the boxing will pause to allow England's 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal against France to be screened.
The action in the ring will resume once the hotly-anticipated football match has finished, which should be by 9 p.m. if the game does not require extra time.
How to watch Josh Warrington vs. Luis Alberto Lopez
Warrington vs. Lopez, plus undercard action, will be broadcast by DAZN in more than 200 countries around the world.
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream |
| United Kingdom | Sat. Dec 10 | DAZN |
| USA | Sat. Dec 10 | DAZN |
Josh Warrington vs. Luis Alberto Lopez price: How much does the card cost?
The Warrington vs. Lopez fight costs £7.99 via DAZN, or $19.99 in the US.
That pays for a monthly subscription giving access to a wealth of DAZN content including interviews and features.
Subscribers can cancel at any time, while an annual subscription saves money for viewers in the US and costs $149.99.
Where is the Josh Warrington vs. Luis Alberto Lopez fight taking place?
The bout will be staged at Leeds Arena, which has a capacity of just under 14,000 and opened with an Elton John concert in September 2013.
Twelve of Warrington's 33 fights have taken place at the arena, where the local fighter first appeared in May 2014.
Warrington won the British title by beating Martin Lindsay on that occasion, then lifted the European version with victory over Davide Dieli at the arena that October.
A post shared by Josh Leeds Warrior Warrington (@j_warrington)
What weight will Josh Warrington vs. Luis Alberto Lopez be held at?
The bout will take place at featherweight – the division in which both fighters have competed throughout their careers.
Is Josh Warrington vs. Luis Alberto Lopez a world title fight?
Warrington will be defending his new IBF belt for the first time, having won it by beating Martinez at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.
The 32-year-old also won the title and defended it three times between May 2018 and October 2019.
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How to buy tickets for Josh Warrington vs. Luis Alberto Lopez
Tickets were available through Ticketmaster for most areas of the arena at the start of fight week, with prices ranging from £47.95 to £227.95 including booking fees.
Josh Warrington vs. Luis Alberto Lopez undercard
- Josh Warrington vs. Luis Alberto Lopez (IBF world featherweight title)
- Ebanie Bridges vs. Shannon O'Connell (IBF women's world bantamweight title)
- Felix Cash vs. TBA (Middleweight)
- James Metcalf vs. Courtney Pennington (Light middleweight)
- Hopey Price vs. Sofiane Takoucht (Super bantamweight)
- Shannon Courtenay vs. Gemma Ruegg (Women's super bantamweight)
- Junaid Bostan vs. Aljaz Venko (Light middleweight)
- Calum French vs. Kurt Jackson (Lightweight)
- Rhiannon Dixon vs. Kristine Shergold (Women's lightweight)
- Cory O'Regan vs. Jordan Ellison (Lightweight)
- Mali Wright vs. TBA (Light heavyweight)
- Koby McNamara vs. Nabil Ahmed (Bantamweight)
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Josh Warrington record, titles won
- Nationality: British
- Born: November 14, 1990
- Height: 5' 7" (170cm)
- Weight: Featherweight
- Reach: 67 inches (170cm)
- Total fights: 32
- Record: 30-1 with one draw and 8 wins via knockout
- Titles: IBF champion. Held Commonwealth title 2013-15, WBC International title 2015-17
Luis Alberto Lopez record, titles won
- Nationality: Mexican
- Born: August 21, 1993
- Height: 5'4" (163cm)
- Weight: Featherweight
- Reach: 66.5 inches (169cm)
- Total fights: 28
- Record: 26-2 with 15 wins via knockout
- Titles: Held WBO International featherweight title in 2019
