At the age of 24, Mauricio Lara has established himself as one of, if not, the most dangerous force in the featherweight division.
His ninth round stoppage win against Josh Warrington in February 2021 saw him announce himself on the world stage and since then, he has become the boogeyman at 126lbs.
Now he has the chance to win his first world title when he takes on WBA world featherweight champion Leigh Wood on Saturday night live on DAZN (excluding Australia and New Zealand).
But what does the Mexican need to do if he is to walk away with the belt? DAZN Boxing analyst Darren Barker reveals all below.
Utilise immense punching power
There is no denying that the bigger puncher out of the two is Mauricio Lara, he will be looking to land those big shots and put a dent in Leigh Wood as early as possible.
The Mexican has got a no-nonsense attitude and doesn’t worry about what his opponent is doing. But while this makes Lara very dangerous, it also leaves him vulnerable.
Lara’s left hook will be vital
Mauricio Lara’s favoured shot is the left hook, we have seen it numerous times and how spiteful he can be with it. Leigh Wood was dropped by a similar shot by Michael Conlan last year, albeit a left hook coming out of a southpaw stance.
There is no doubt Lara will be looking for that shot and I expect him to bring his feet in, maybe tap or faint with the jab and then fire the left hook.
Target the body before moving upstairs
Mauricio Lara needs to start his attacks against Leigh Wood at the body. The current WBA world featherweight champion tends to lean back and while your head moves away, the body doesn’t, so Lara can exploit this by throwing a faint or jab and then move upstairs, it could prove crucial in this matchup.
However, he cannot afford to just stand in front of Wood when on the offensive. Lara needs to move his head as he is prone to leaving openings.