Luis Alberto Lopez retains the IBF featherweight belt by stopping Michael Conlan in five

He throws from unorthodox angles, from distances that don’t make sense, and is not afraid to fight in anyone’s backyard. Luis Alberto Lopez, 29, is the living, walking definition of what not to do in the ring.

None of it matters.

Lopez wins.

The IBF featherweight titlist and The Ring’s No. 3-ranked 126-pounder made his first title defense and highly successful and entertaining one, stopping Michael Conlan at 1:14 of the fifth round at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The 29-year-old Lopez (28-2, 16 knockouts) forced Conlan’s trainer, Adam Booth, to throw in the towel soon after Lopez connected with a pulverizing right uppercut that Conlan dipped into.

“I had a great training camp,” Lopez said. “I was a little nervous, but I’m very happy for it. I knew that Michael Conlan would underestimate my power and he paid for it. I wanted to come to Belfast to show that I’m a true champion. I wanted to make a true statement today with my first defense.”

Lopez pulled off an upset by beating Josh Warrington for the IBF belt in December in Leeds, England.

He had no trouble going back to an opponent’s backyard.

The 31-year-old Conlan (18-2, 9 KOs) was making his second attempt at a world title, after losing in the last round to Leigh Wood for a secondary WBA featherweight in a classic that was awarded the 2022 Fight of the Year by everyone in boxing.

This time, Conlan started out as a southpaw and move was met with some early success. With 1:12 left in the first, he had backed up Lopez against the ropes. Between rounds, Booth advised Conlan, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, not to be afraid to turn orthodox to confuse Lopez.

Lopez, meanwhile, was reaching with right uppercuts of one foot, and sometimes appeared open to counters. With 1:14 left in the second, Conlan cracked with a right hook to the head. Still, Lopez, very reminiscent of wildman Ricardo Mayorga, was throwing wide shots, looking to connect.

By the third, Lopez began finding his distance and more balance in his shots. The sway of the fight subtlety began turning his direction. He closed the third by nailing Conlan with nine successive shots.

Conlan was fighting at Lopez’s frenetic pace by the fourth. The holes were beginning to open in Conlan’s defense. Lopez was landing consistently, wearing a smile on his face near the end of the fourth, implying something was coming.

It arrived in the fifth.

Lopez, continuing to swing wildly, was making Conlan work, probably more than Conlan wanted to. That’s when it came: Lopez uncorked a right uppercut, Conlan dipped right into it and down he went.

Booth threw in the towel ending it.

“I hope all the world champions at the featherweight division are ready for ‘Venado’ Lopez,” Lopez announced. “I’m coming for all of them. I want all their belts. One by one I’m taking all their belts with me to Mexico”

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow @JSantoliquito

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