Derek Chisola overcame a severely cut eye to bring a fierce unanimous victory over Manchester's Otto Warlin, billed as his final fight in British soil. If this showdown at Co-op Live Arena was truly his home swanson, it was a fitting send-off.
Chisora started with his front legs and maintained his momentum despite picking up a deep cut above his right eye in the fifth round. Despite not being able to find a knockout blow, Chisora was handed a unanimous decision. This allowed him to take shots in the IBF heavyweight title against either champions Daniel Dubois or Joseph Parker who will meet on February 22nd.
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Chisora got off to a solid start and landed plenty of body shots on the 6-foot-5-inch Swedes. With a unanimous decision in 2019, and when stopped by Anthony Joshua in December 2023, the previous two defeats only came against Tyson Fury.
Warrin doesn't offer much in the first few rounds, so Chisora almost returns in the opposite direction from the southpaw and lands a big right hand on the third top to continue his early domination. Warrin remained static, invited Chisora in front, and the British fighter picked up a cut above his right eye from a head collision. As blood flowed, the judge paused the contest in the sixth round, allowing further checks from the doctors for Chisora's eye damage, but he was allowed to continue.
Chisora's horn went to work to raise the patch of their man before the seventh. He quickly got on the attack again, remaining on the ropes by a gust of wind from the shots Warrin combined in front of Bell. After continuing to receive further punishment, Warrin eventually spread across the ring to the canvas in the ninth round by a massive right from Chisora, spreading across the canvas, but then stood up and counted 8.
As Chisora ran out of gas, the tempo of the contest headed towards the final few rounds. Warrin fell again just before the final bell, but Chisora has already done enough and is expected to hold the 50th and final battle along with the Saudi Arabia or African nation.
