Leigh Wood will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight championship against Michael Conlan at Nottingham Arena, Nottingham, United Kingdom, on Saturday. (photos by Mark Robinson)

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The English champion will make the first defense of his crown against the Irishman in a fight that has raised much expectation due to the quality of both fighters.

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The fight is mandatory and is part of the world title reduction plan that the WBA has been implementing for about six months.

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Wood shocked China’s Can Xu last July 31 with a technical knockout victory in the final part of the fight. The 33-year-old fighter captured the black and gold belt with a great performance and will now have another important challenge.

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As for Conlan, he earned the right to challenge the champion because he was the interim 126-pound champion when the world belt cut began. The London 2012 bronze medalist is aiming for the world crown and does not want to miss this opportunity. 

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The week will be full of promotional activities such as open workouts, press conference and the weigh-in next Friday. Wood has a record of 25 wins, 2 losses and 15 knockouts, while Conlan is undefeated in 16 fights, 8 won by knockout.

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