Saturday night at the Braehead Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, was nothing short of electric as boxing fans witnessed a WBC featherweight title final eliminator between two unbeaten warriors: Nathaniel Collins and Cristobal Lorente. The stakes were sky-high, with both fighters putting their perfect records and regional belts on the line. After twelve rounds of relentless action, the judges’ scorecards delivered a split draw, leaving both men’s dreams of a world title shot on hold and the crowd hungry for a rematch.
Collins, the local favorite and holder of the WBC silver belt, entered the ring with a record of 17-0-1 (8 KOs), while Spain’s Lorente, the European champion, brought an impressive 20-0-3 (8 KOs) slate. Each man’s unbeaten status added an extra layer of intrigue to the contest, as did the knowledge that victory would have guaranteed a crack at world honors. The tension in the arena was palpable from the opening bell, with fans eager to see which fighter would seize the opportunity.
Right from the start, Collins set a blistering pace, pushing Lorente back with his jab and left hand. The first three rounds saw the Scotsman dictating the action at range, his combination punching drawing cheers from the home crowd. Yet Lorente, undeterred, began to find his rhythm in the third, breaking through Collins’ guard with a crisp right-left combo before following up with more sharp shots. The tide was beginning to turn.
By the fourth round, Lorente had flipped the script, opting to pressure Collins rather than retreat. The Spaniard’s new approach paid immediate dividends, as he landed a powerful right hand that dipped Collins’ legs—a clear sign that Lorente was gaining confidence and momentum. The fifth round saw Lorente continue his inside assault, closing the distance and landing a flurry in the final seconds that had the judges taking note.
But Collins wasn’t about to let the fight slip away. Sensing the shift, he came out firing in the sixth, hurting Lorente with a short left hand early in the round. The Scottish fighter poured on the pressure, and for a moment, it looked like a stoppage might be on the cards. Lorente, however, proved his mettle, rallying with a combination of his own and forcing Collins onto the back foot. The sixth round, with its wild exchanges and momentum swings, was an instant classic—a true contender for Round of the Year.
As the bout entered the second half, fatigue began to set in for both men. The seventh round saw a lull in the action, with Collins regaining control of the distance and catching Lorente with counters as the Spaniard tried to close the gap. Lorente bounced back in the eighth, landing straight shots and a solid body punch that signaled he wasn’t done yet. The ninth round continued the theme, with Lorente’s inside work and late surge seemingly giving him the edge, though Collins responded with a pair of clean left hands to remind everyone he was still a threat.
With the fight hanging in the balance, the tenth round saw Lorente’s jab snap Collins’ head back repeatedly, his lead left hand proving especially effective as Collins began to tire. The eleventh round slowed, but Collins may have nicked it with the sharper work in a quieter stanza. Then, in the twelfth and final round, both fighters emptied the tank, trading shots in the center of the ring and earning a standing ovation from the raucous Glasgow crowd as the final bell rang.
When the judges’ scorecards were read—115-113 for Collins, 115-113 for Lorente, and 114-114—the result was a split draw. Neither man suffered defeat, and both kept their unbeaten records and titles intact. While some ringside observers felt Collins had done enough to edge the fight, there was little complaint about the outcome. The consensus was clear: the bout was simply too close to call, and a rematch would be welcomed with open arms.
Both Collins and Lorente expressed a willingness to do it all again in their post-fight interviews. The draw means Collins remains the WBC’s No. 1-ranked contender at featherweight, and Lorente retains his European crown. The tantalizing prospect of a rematch looms, with fans and pundits alike eager to see these two warriors settle unfinished business.
The night’s action didn’t end there. In the light heavyweight division, Willy Hutchinson delivered a statement performance against Mark Jeffers, stopping his opponent in the seventh round. Hutchinson, now 19-2 with 14 knockouts, used his slick skills to outbox Jeffers and hurt him with a right hand late in the seventh. Despite Jeffers’ insistence that he wasn’t hurt, referee John Latham saw enough and waved off the contest as Hutchinson pressed his advantage. The victory was a much-needed rebound for Hutchinson, who had lost to Joshua Buatsi in a WBO interim title clash in September 2024. After the win, Hutchinson called for a rematch with Buatsi, who is set to face Zach Parker on November 1.
Elsewhere on the card, Louie O’Doherty captured the British lightweight title in style, stopping Regan Glackin in the tenth round of their England vs. Scotland battle of unbeatens. O’Doherty, now 11-0 with 3 KOs, controlled the fight with his right hand, causing damage above Glackin’s left eye and dominating the early rounds. Although Glackin showed flashes of a comeback in the fifth, O’Doherty quickly regained control and continued to break his opponent down. With O’Doherty firmly on top and landing the more damaging shots, Glackin’s corner threw in the towel in the final 30 seconds of the tenth, handing O’Doherty the prestigious Lonsdale belt.
Saturday’s event at Braehead Arena was a showcase of grit, skill, and heart—a night that delivered drama from start to finish. With Collins and Lorente’s rivalry unresolved, and other rising stars making their mark, Scottish boxing fans have plenty to look forward to in the months ahead. The echoes of the crowd’s cheers are sure to linger as the fighters and their teams plot their next moves and the sport’s landscape continues to shift.
