Michael Conlan’s bid to take the IBF world featherweight title on home turf failed as he was floored by Luis Alberto Lopez in the fifth round in .
Conlan’s trainer Adam Booth threw in the towel after Lopez landed a left hook and a right uppercut that dropped Conlan to the canvas.
Conlan had looked strong in the second round, hitting the Mexican with a strong right-hander as he appeared to gain the upper hand.
But the momentum shifted significantly in the third as Lopez landed a of punches to leave Conlan hanging on for the bell.
Lopez slowed a little in the fourth but remained on top and Conlan at one point stumbled to the floor.When Lopez hit Conlan hard in the fifth, Booth took the decision to end the fight.
Michael Conlan’s bid to take the IBF world featherweight title on home turf failed as he was knocked out by Luis Alberto Lopez
Conlan walked out in front of his own Irish supporters at a packed arena in Belfast on Saturday
He initially made a strong start and boxed well in the second round, but the tide soon turned
Conlan received medical attention before congratulating his opponent, but his disappointment was obvious.
After the bout the Irish star took to social media to express his frustration while reassuring fans that he had recovered from the knockout blow.
‘I’m good folks,’ Conlan wrote on Twitter.’Wasn’t at the races tonight, couldn’t seem to get going and paid the price for it.
‘Congratulations to [Lopez] on a great performance. I wish you all the best in the future champion. Thank you for Game Casino Onlline the opportunity.
‘Thanks to everyone who reached out and wished me luck, I can’t get back to you all but I appreciate it!
‘I’m gonna take some time away from social media now to enjoy my family and decide what the next steps for me are.
‘Again thank you Belfast for an amazing atmosphere and turn out tonight!Love MC x’.
In the fifth, Lopez landed a devastating right uppercut which sent Conlan crashing down
Conlan’s trainer Adam Booth saw fit to throw the towel when his man hit the canvas
Conlan has now suffered two stoppage losses in his last four contests, Game Casino Onlline having bounced back from a dramatic defeat against WBA Regular champion Leigh Wood in March of last year.
Elsewhere on a packed Saturday night of boxing in the UK, Wood regained his featherweight title by outpointing Mexico’s Mauricio Lara in Manchester.
Chris Billam-Smith also dethroned WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie in front of his home fans at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium, flooring his old stablemate three times in a dramatic contest before claiming a majority-decision victory.
