Luis Alberto Lopez dropped and stopped Michael Conlan in the fifth round in Belfast, retaining his IBF featherweight title in the main event.
Lopez (28-2, 16 KO) and Conlan (18-2, 9 KO) had a bit of a firefight in the first couple of rounds, but even early Lopez was looking like the more dangerous man, and after four rounds, with Conlan having been shaken a couple times, things were clearly trending the wrong way for him.
Conlan’s trainer Adam Booth told him after four rounds that he didn’t like he what he was seeing, and then just under halfway into round five, Conlan was caught dipping down into an uppercut, and hit the deck. The towel came in from Booth, and Lopez had retained his title.
The loss makes the 31-year-old Conlan 0-2 in world title fights, and truthfully it just seems unlikely that he’s going to get over that hump as a professional. He’s a good fighter, but there’s something lacking at that top level. He landed good shots, but Lopez just smiled and went through them, and picked Conlan apart with his unusual angles and rhythms.
Lopez vs Conlan highlights
Undercard highlights and results
- Nick Ball TKO-12 Ludumo Lamati: Lamati’s corner threw the towel in the final round, and the fighter was down in his corner post-fight and taken out via stretcher and then sent immediately to the hospital. We didn’t get many updates, but obviously the main thoughts are with Lamati.
- Anthony Cacace UD-12 Damian Wrzesinski (116-112, 117-111, 118-111)