Lee Selby title fight cancelled after opponent Jonny Barros fails licensing requirements

LAS VEGAS - Welshman Lee Selby, the IBF featherweight champion, won't be fighting on Saturday night after all. And his fans who followed him over to Las Vegas from Cardiff, Wales, were none to happy, loudly booing the decision at Friday's raucous weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Selby's opponent, Jonathan Barros of Argentina was notified Friday that he did not meet the Nevada state licensing requirements. It was unsure exactly why Barros did not meet those requirements, but it was believed to be for medical reasons involving blood work.

Selby (23-1, 8 KOs), who was to make his second defense of his title, was extremely disappointed to hear the news.

"Thank you (to my fans) for traveling over here to watch me fight. Sadly the fight is not happening," Selby told the 3,500 fans, mostly here from the United Kingdom, at the weigh-in. "I prepared well, I made weight, but I can't fight. I'm terribly sorry. I'm almost in tears. This is my big stage. My big chance to shine. But I'll be back another day.

Nevada Commission executive director Bob Bennett was not immediately available to explain the reason for the cancellation of the third fight on the Premier Boxing Champions card (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET).

The main event between champion Carl Frampton and challenger Leo Santa Cruz is for Frampton's WBA featherweight title, and the co-main event between champion Dejan Zlaticanin of Montenegro and Mikey Garcia, the challenger from Oxnard, Calif. is for Zlaticanin's WBC lightweight title.

All four of the fighters came in under the weight limit, meaning that the championship belts are up for grabs.