Nearly five years after their first showdow, Josh Warrington and Kiko Martinez ran it back in Leeds.
In May 2017, 'The Leeds Warrior' and 'The Sensation' met in a battle for the WBC International Featherweight Title. Warrington came out on top that night, extending his undefeated record to 25-0 via majority decision and retaining his championship.
Almost five years later, the roles were reversed heading into their rematch. Warrington was coming off a series with Mauricio Lara which saw him claim a loss and a draw. Meanwhile, Martinez headed into the bout as the defending IBF Middleweight Champion.
The co-main event featured Maria Cecila Roman making another defense of her IBF Bantamweight gold against Ebanie Bridges. 'The Blonde Bomber' looked to earn her first championship after falling short against Shannon Courtenay in April 2021.
Other undercard attractions featured Maxi Hughes taking on Ryan Walsh, and Skye Nicolson attempting to maintain her undefeated status against Bec Connolly.
See the results for the full Warrington vs. Martinez 2 card below:
Josh Warrington vs. Kiko Martinez 2 full results:
Josh Warrington def. Kiko Martinez via seventh-round TKO (2:12)
Josh Warrington got back into the win column on Saturday night in Leeds. The former champion got off to a fast start in the first by knocking down Martinez. The knockdown was a sign of things to come, as he was just one-step ahead of his foe at all times throughout the bout.
By round seven, Martinez's face was a mess, and a big flurry badly hurt him near the start of the round. The damage forced the referee to step in to end the bout. With the victory, Warrington is now once again the IBF Featherweight Champion, capturing the same title he vacated in January 2021.
Ebanie Bridges def. Maria Cecila Roman via unanimous decision (97-93, 97-93, 100-91)
In her second attempt at securing gold, Ebanie Bridges got it done via unanimous decision. The challenger jumped out to an early lead over the first half of the contest with her brawling style. While Roman put in a good effort over the last half of the fight, it wasn't enough to retain her IBF gold.
Maxi Hughes def. Ryan Walsh via unanimous decision (118-110, 119-109, 120-108)
Dalton Smith def. Ray Moylette via 10th-round TKO (0:49)
Skye Nicolson def. Bec Connolly via pts decision (60-54)