Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood headlined a major UK fight night in Nottingham, and the main event delivered high drama. Belfast’s Cacace defended his IBO super-featherweight world title against local favorite Leigh Wood, securing a ninth-round TKO after a prolonged onslaught that forced Wood’s corner to throw in the towel. The 36-year-old champion was largely in control before the stoppage, turning back Wood’s bid to become a two-weight champion in front of his hometown crowd.
Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood – Main Event Recap
From the opening rounds, Cacace’s superior boxing skill set the tone. The fight was billed as a potential barnburner, but Cacace boxed smartly behind his jab and was a step ahead on the cards throughout the early going. By the middle rounds, the defending champion began to pull away – in round six he noticeably raised his tempo, snapping Wood’s head back with stiff jabs and flurries of hooks as he asserted control. Wood, a former two-time featherweight titleholder, struggled to find sustained success, but he did muster a rally in the eighth. Roared on by the Nottingham fans, Wood managed to cut Cacace’s cheek and draw blood from the champion’s nose in that round, providing a glimmer of hope for the challenger.
Ultimately, Cacace’s class proved decisive in the ninth. A flush left hook sent Wood stumbling backward into the ropes, prompting the referee to administer a standing count. Sensing the finish, Cacace piled on with two huge right uppercuts followed by a left to the body, leaving Wood defenseless. The brave 36-year-old Wood turned his back and tried to retreat, forcing trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel to save his fighter from further punishment. The referee halted the contest, making Cacace the winner by TKO at 2:15 of Round 9. With this victory, Cacace (now 24–1, 9 KOs) retains his IBO super-featherweight title and extends his late-career resurgence.
Wood’s move up in weight after a 17-month layoff ends in disappointment, marking only the fourth defeat of his career. After the fight, the Nottingham man praised Cacace as “a really good fighter” and admitted the night had been “hard… maybe it was the lay-off, I don’t know,” while declining to make any immediate decision about retirement. At age 36, Leigh Wood (28–4, 17 KOs) remains undecided on his future, thanking the home crowd for their support and refusing to offer excuses for the defeat. Meanwhile, Cacace’s dominant performance – coming on the heels of major wins in 2024 over Joe Cordina and Josh Warrington – reaffirms his status as one of Britain’s in-form fighters.
Co-Main Event: Ezra Taylor vs Troy Jones
In the co-main event, Nottingham’s own Ezra Taylor delighted the home fans with a unanimous decision win over previously unbeaten Troy Jones. The bout, a light-heavyweight ten-rounder, saw the 27-year-old Taylor use his strength and timing to hand Birmingham native Jones his first professional loss. Taylor, who entered as the WBC International light-heavyweight champion, started confidently and often pressed the action behind heavy shots. Jones had some success in spots, but the local favorite was generally in command. After ten brisk rounds, the judges’ scorecards reflected Taylor’s control: 97–94, 99–91, and 100–90 in favor of Ezra Taylor.
The wide scores underlined the Nottingham fighter’s dominance, as he improved his record to 12–0 (8 KOs) and likely retained his regional title. Jones (12–1, 6 KOs) showed toughness in lasting the distance, but ultimately could not match Taylor’s output and precision. This victory marks an impressive homecoming for Taylor, who fought in Nottingham for the first time since his pro debut and gave the crowd plenty to cheer.
Undercard Results
Aside from the headline attractions, the fight card featured a number of compelling undercard matchups with a strong UK flavor. Below is a summary of the rest of the undercard results, with clear outcomes for each bout:
- Liam Davies def. Kurt Walker – Unanimous Decision (12 rounds). Davies outpointed the previously undefeated Walker with scores of 117–111, 116–112, 115–113 to claim the vacant IBF Inter-Continental featherweight title.
- Owen Cooper def. Chris Kongo – Points Decision (10 rounds). Cooper edged the experienced Kongo on the referee’s scorecard, 96–94, in a close welterweight contest.
- Sam Noakes def. Patrik Balazs – Knockout, Round 3 (2:17). Lightweight prospect Noakes scored an early knockdown and finished Balazs at 2:17 of the third round, earning a decisive KO victory.
- Lewis Williams def. Viktor Chvarkov – Points Decision (6 rounds). The heavyweight Williams won every round on the referee’s card (60–54) against journeyman Chvarkov in a methodical performance.
- Charlie Senior def. Cesar Paredes – Points Decision (6 rounds). Team GB Olympian Charlie Senior knocked down Paredes early and went on to win 59–54 on points in a frenetic six-round featherweight bout.
- Harris Akbar def. Octavian Gratii – Points Decision (4 rounds). Akbar, making his professional debut at super-welterweight, shut out Gratii over four rounds with a 40–36 points verdict.
- Joe Cooper def. Dmitri Protkunas – Points Decision (4 rounds). Under the guidance of trainer Joe Gallagher, middleweight prospect Joe Cooper boxed to a 40–36 four-round points win over Lithuania’s Protkunas.
- Nico Leivars def. Darwing Martinez – Points Decision (6 rounds). Leivars returned from a layoff to beat Nicaragua’s Martinez with a 60–55 score over six rounds at featherweight.
- Hughie Malone def. Jakub Laskowski – Points Decision (6 rounds). Junior-welterweight newcomer Malone impressed on debut, pitching a shutout (60–54) in a six-round victory against Poland’s Laskowski.
- Joe Tyers def. Mario Valenzuela – Points Decision (4 rounds). In the opening lightweight bout of the night, Tyers won on points 39–37 after four competitive rounds against Valenzuela.
