Though WBA Featherweight champion Leigh Wood has only just reconquered his world title, the WBA has deemed it necessary for the British champion to face his next contender with their recent mandate for him to face Otabek Kholmatov. Otabek Kholmatov is currently ranked #1 on the WBA’s Featherweight ranking boards.
Leigh Wood’s (27-3, 16 KO’s) victory over Mauricio Lara (26-3-1, 19 KO’s) this past Saturday saw him reclaim the WBA Featherweight belt he had previously lost to the former Mexican world champion. Uzbeki contender Otabek Kholmatov (11-0, 10 KO’s) is now expected to be Wood’s next opponent following the WBA’s mandate, and the Brit will need to face Kholmatov before September 26th due to the WBA’s own rules.
The WBA’s rules stipulate that Leigh Wood has 120 days (or 4 months) to fight Otabek Kholmatov since the Uzbeki is not an official contender, which would otherwise give Wood 9 months to defend his title rather than just 4.
Though 24-year-old Kholmatov is a skilled fighter, he has primarily distinguished himself through his streak of knockouts and stoppages which has seen him record 10 KO’s out of his total of eleven victories. Still undefeated, Kholmatov poses a significant challenge for Leigh Wood, who recently fought a power puncher in Mauricio Lara. Now, he faces the prospect of competing against someone who may possess equal power but is regarded as more well-rounded than Lara in terms of boxing ability.
Leigh Wood, 34, does have advantages that will see him able to grab a likely victory. His experience is second to none in the division; he is a two-time world champion and has already faced several tough contenders in his first reign as champion. Overall, Wood is regarded as one of the top Featherweights globally, as evidenced by his #2 ranking on BoxRec and #6 positioning on the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, highlighting his elite talent in the division.
The teams of the two fighters will now engage in a negotiation period, which may escalate to purse bids if no agreement is reached within 30 days. If Leigh Wood fails to face Otabek Kholmatov in the ring within the next 4 months, he will be stripped of his title.
