At the same time there’s a UFC Fight Night card on – there’s also an interesting boxing match up. Across the pond – in Nottingham, England Leigh Wood delivered quite the banger with his last round knockout of Michael Conlan.
Wood was playing catch up from the very start of the fight. He was swarmed in the first round and knocked down however he managed to recover.
HUGE KNOCKDOWN FOR CONLAN ?#WoodConlan pic.twitter.com/3bhyBCUJNU
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 12, 2022
Despite suffering a bad cut mid fight – Wood stuck right in there up until the last round during which he knocked Conlan out of the boxing ring and left him seeking medical treatment outside of the ring.
Leigh Wood's KO of Michael Conlan#boxing pic.twitter.com/AkhkZdspMW
— BoxingVibe (@boxingvibe) March 12, 2022
Many were worried seeing Conlan taken from the ring on a stretcher. Wood managed to retain his WBA featherweight title but was still concerned for his opponent:
“First of all I just hope Michael is all right; I can’t celebrate until I know he is all right,” Wood told Dazn.
“He is so tough and it was a bad knockout so I just want to see he is all right.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn was pleased with the result yet is said to be praying for Michael’s recovery as well.
“It looked a masterclass from Michael and coming into the 12th I could not see a way Leigh could turn the fight around,” Hearn said.
“Michael was two ahead going into the last round, Leigh Wood had to knock him out in the 12th and he did.
“I would love to celebrate but all our thoughts are with Michael.”
Ringside footage of Leigh Wood’s KO of Michael Conlan shows it was in fact a punch that ended it … What a fight, credit to both men, fight of the year so far for me.
Prayers with Mick and hope he’s ok ?#WoodConlan pic.twitter.com/snCvcT1UTq
— The Fite Zone ??♂️ (@TheFiteZone) March 13, 2022
Hearn has since updated on Conlan’s condition saying:
“Update on Michael Conlan..conscious and stable, sitting up and talking and await CT scans”