In the third stanza, Conlan relied more on head movement to avoid Lopez’s punches, dipping his head on the inside to avoid wild hooks. That backfired, as Lopez timed an uppercut that hurt Conlan and sent him reeling toward the ropes.
Warrington,31, unloaded shots in round two. He wanted the knockout. Combinations bounced off the chin of Martinez who was bleeding from a cut over his left eye.
He returned to the ring last February to face unheralded Mauricio Lara. The bout was considered nothing more than a tune-up bout. Warrington entered the ring a 33-1 favorite.