Josh Warrington to fight for world title against Kiko Martinez in March

The pair fought for the international title back in 2017, and will step into the ring again in a surprise move as a third bout with Mauricio Lara has failed to materialise

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

The video will auto-play soon8Cancel

Play now

Will Tyson Fury end up in WWE?

Josh Warrington will have a chance to be crowned featherweight world champion again when he faces Kiko Martinez for a second time in March.

The former IBF world featherweight champion has been given another shot at his old belt, and will have home advantage against the Spaniard.

The bout will take place on March 26 at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, the site of their first battle back in 2017 when Warrington won the international title by unanimous decision.

Martinez won the title, which Warrington vacated after the governing body refused to sanction a unification bout with Can Xu last year, by knocking out Kid Galahad in a stunning upset last November.

And he will have to once again travel to enemy territory to face off with one of Eddie Hearn’s fighters in his first defence, with Galahad now expected to move up to super-featherweight.

Warrington most recently fought to a technical draw against Mauricio Lara at Headingley Stadium in his hometown, and will get another chance to impress his home fans in March.

He had lost to the Mexican in one of the biggest upsets of the year last February, and seemed on course to right that wrong before the bout was stopped back in September.

And since a third bout with Lara hasn’t materialised, Warrington will instead go for his second world title, just two weeks after his promoter Eddie Hearn puts on another featherweight bout in the UK.

Hearn will promote the WBA regular title fight between Leigh Wood and Michael Conlan, reported to take place in Nottingham on March 12, before heading North to Leeds two weeks later.

“I will never ever forget a thrilling night,” Hearn said after watching Martinez’s stunning win over Galahad last year. “Two huge upsets and I can’t believe what I have seen.

“That is the sport of boxing right there, you are never out of the fight. One punch changes everything.

“It was just a one-sided, dominant display from Kid Galahad and one punch from Kiko Martinez changed history.

“It changed history for British boxing, for Spanish boxing – it’s going to take a long time to believe what we have seen in that ring tonight.”

Are you excited to see Josh Warrington back fighting for the world title? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Despite Martinez having the belt and all the momentum, Warrington is currently ranked ahead of him in The Ring Magazine’s rankings of featherweights.

Warrington is ranked at No.3, behind Mexican duo Lara and Emanuel Navarrete, while Mark Magsayo in fourth is the gap between he and Martinez.

Famously, Warrington had shown little interest in offering Galahad a rematch of their close 2019 fight, despite the Brit earning another shot at the title.

But after Galahad defeated James ‘Jazza’ Dickens for the vacant strap over the summer, there wasn’t much time for Warrington to change his tune as he was beaten by Martinez in his first defence.

Martinez is a former world super bantamweight champion, who has fought some of the best in the world, and will prove a stern test for Warrington as he looks for his first win since October 2019.