Teofimo Lopez is strapping on his gloves to put his WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight crowns on the line against Jamaine Ortiz. This showdown is penciled in for Thursday, Feb. 8, turning the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas into a battleground.
In a 10-round lightweight appetizer, Keyshawn Davis, the U.S. Olympic silver medalist, is set to tangle with Jose Pedraza, a veteran who’s had his hands raised in two different weight classes.
Both the Lopez vs. Ortiz scrap and the Davis vs. Pedraza bout will be beamed live into your living rooms courtesy of ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.
Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs), not one to do things by halves, snatched the IBF lightweight title from Richard Commey with a knockout that had us all picking our jaws up off the floor. Then, he outmaneuvered Vasiliy Lomachenko, grabbing a trio of belts in the process, only to have George Kambosos Jr. leave him stunned and beltless 13 months later. Not one to sulk, he jumped up to junior welterweight and has been tearing through opponents, with his latest victory over Josh Taylor leaving the boxing world gobsmacked and him with the WBO and Ring Magazine titles.
Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) gave Vasiliy Lomachenko a run for his money before bowing out with grace. Not one to dwell on the past, he came back 11 months later, marking his junior welterweight debut with a victory over Antonio Moran that had us all nodding in approval.
Post-workout at the Top Rank Gym in Vegas, Lopez let loose with some choice words:
“Back in the day, before I put Josh Taylor in his place, I was kind of a slacker. I’d take long breaks, barely hit the gym. But after I climbed back on top, snatching titles in two divisions, I turned over a new leaf. My old man, doubling as my trainer, kept nagging at me to live in the gym. So, last August, I gave in. And would you believe it? I’m quicker, stronger, and my brain’s sharper than ever. Haven’t taken a day off since last August, and I don’t plan to, especially not after I show Ortiz the door. I’m sticking to the gym like glue.”
“‘The Showman’ is about to bring the house down. There’s going to be a knockout, no two ways about it. I’m not playing the waiting game, leaving things up to the folks with the scorecards. So, grab your popcorn, and don’t blink.”
“It’s been one heck of a ride. I know the drill, getting to the top and staying there. I’m not just some flash in the pan. So, tune in, watch me do what I love, and witness my dedication to the sweet science.”
Your a great fighter problem is you don,t know it.!!!!!!