Who is Mauricio Lara? Record, stats & bio for Leigh Wood opponent in 2023 boxing fight
Mauricio Lara has traveled over 5,000 miles from his training base in Jiquipilco, Mexico, to face WBA Featherweight Champion Leigh Wood on February 18 at Nottingham Arena. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast exclusively by DAZN.
Despite his world-class pedigree, this will be Lara’s first crack at a World Championship. The Mexican star made his mark in February 2021 when he ended Josh Warrington’s unbeaten streak with a ninth-round KO. However, this competition was not about a title.
The powerful challenger is therefore determined to add his name to the list of great world champions from his home country.
“We know [Wood is] a great fighter but it’s going to be a really tough fight for him,” said Lara (25-2-1, 18 KOs) in a Matchroom Boxing press release. “We’ve caused a stir in his country before and February 18 will be the same. Believe me, if he shuts down, the fight will be over in no time. It won’t go past the fifth.”
MORE: Watch Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara on DAZN
Wood (26-2, 16 KOs) is in the form of his life. He captured the WBA “regular” title in July 2021 at the expense of Can Xu (TKO 12) and successfully defended it against Michael Conlan (TKO 12) in The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year 2022. Conlan’s dramatic victory was achieved also named Knockout of the Year 2022 by The Sporting News.
The Englishman, who is now a full champion, was the betting underdog on both occasions and is the underdog again. But regardless of Lara’s reputation and the odds, Wood remains undeterred.
Who is Mauricio Lara?
Lara, 24, is from Mexico City and has been boxing professionally since October 2015.
“Bronco” lost his debut by a four-round split decision before going on an 11-fight win streak. However, Lara was derailed a second time in May 2018 when he was KO’d in a single round by fellow unheralded Eliot Chavez.
That was the last time he lost a fight.
MORE: Leigh Wood unafraid of Mauricio Lara fight
Since then, Lara has gone 14-0-1 (12 KOs) and is now widely recognized as one of the top featherweights in the world. He is currently ranked 4th by The Ring at 126lbs while Wood is ranked 6th.
Against all odds, the Warrington win was a career highlight. While the rematch ended in a disappointing technical draw, Lara regained his momentum with two pulverizing third-round KOs over Emilio Sanchez and Jose Sanmartin.
How to watch Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara
| country | Date | Channel + live stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat 18 February | DAZN |
| Great Britain | Sat 18 February | DAZN |
| Australia | Sun. 19th of February | DAZN |
The Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara fight card will be available via DAZN.
MORE: Watch Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara on DAZN
Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara price: How much is the card?
- Monthly DAZN subscription: $19.99, $24.99 in Canada, £7.99 in UK, $13.99 AUD
- DAZN annual subscription: $149.99, $199.99 in Canada
To watch Wood vs. Lara, you can either pay for a monthly DAZN subscription ($19.99) or an annual subscription ($149.99). In Canada, a monthly DAZN subscription costs $24.99, while an annual subscription costs $199.99.
In Australia it costs AUD 13.99 per month. It costs £7.99 for a monthly subscription in the UK
When does Leigh Wood play Mauricio Lara?
- Date: Saturday February 18 | Sunday February 19th
- Main Card: 2 p.m. ET | 7pm GMT | 6 a.m. AEDT
- Main Event: 5 p.m. ET | 10pm GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT (approx.)
Leigh Wood and Mauricio Lara will fight on February 18th. The main card starts at 2 p.m. ET | 7pm GMT | 6 a.m. AEDT. Wood and Lara were scheduled to make their way to the ring around 5 p.m. ET | 10pm GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
MORE: Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara undercard breakdown
Fight card Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara
- Leigh Wood (c) vs. Mauricio Lara for the WBA Featherweight Title
- Dalton Smith vs. Billy Allington
- Gary Cully vs. Wilfredo Flores
- Gamal Yafai vs. Diego Ruiz
- Keiron Conway versus Jorge Silva
- Cheavon Clarke vs Dec Spelman