WBA featherweight champion Leigh Wood has been scheduled to face fellow Brit Josh Warrington, as announced by Matchroom Boxing. As a former world champion, Warrington remains one of the best contenders at featherweight and he will undoubtedly relish another chance at a title.

Leigh Wood (27-3, 16 KO’s) has cultivated a significant career for himself after first becoming a world champion in 2021 after defeating then-reigning WBA featherweight champion Xu Can (18-4, 3 KO’s). After just one successful title defense in 2022 against Michael Conlan (18-2, 9 KO’s), Wood lost his WBA title in his very next match against Mauricio Lara (26-3-1, 19 KO’s) in February of 2023, but regained it after returning the favor to Lara in May.

Instead of facing one of the three other champions in the division to unify, Leigh Wood has instead decided to settle with a local rival in Josh Warrington (31-2-1, 8 KO’s). Granted, WBO champion Robeisy Ramirez (13-1, 8 KO’s) just recently completed a match on July 25th, and IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez (28-2, 16 KO’s) is set to fight in September, but WBC champion Rey Vargas (36-1, 22 KO’s) does not have a fight lined up as it stands now.

Nevertheless, Josh Warrington will be a good opponent for Leigh Wood in the interim, and will keep him fit and ready for another champion in the division if he desires a unification. A two-time world champion, Warrington has one of the best resume’s in the division and despite a lesser skillset compared to Wood, Warrington remains one of the best candidates in the division to cause an upset.

The match has been scheduled for October 7th and is set to take place at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield.