Current WBO champion Teofimo Lopez is preparing to defend his title against Steve Clagett on June 29th at the James L. Knight Center in Miami.
“This is going to be a tough fight,” said Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs). “A lot of people look at Claggett's record and think I'm fighting a nobody, but he hasn't lost in three years. He's fought former champions. He always comes out fighting and throws a lot of punches. You have to be in top condition to fight a fighter like him. You can't underestimate him or get overconfident or toy with him. This is going to be a great fight for all of us in Miami.”
Claggett (38-7-2, 26 KOs), a native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, stopped Marcos “Gonzalez” Barraza in two rounds in January to extend his current winning streak to nine bouts.
“Unlike the other guys who are supposed to be the 140-pound champions, Steve Claggett is the only one who has raised his hand to challenge me,” Lopez said. “Nobody else has been interested in getting in the ring with me. They want me to make a name for myself. Not much is known about him, but Claggett is very tough and he always comes out fighting. That's the kind of guy I want to fight. I don't want to fight someone who's just trying to be famous, like my last opponent, who's a loudmouth. I attacked him in the second round, but then he ran away for the rest of the fight. That's not good for boxing.”
Following his lackluster 12-round win over Jermaine Ortiz in February, Lopez faced a lot of negative media criticism after failing to extend his bout against his old amateur rival.
“I want to face the best in every weight class. Some fighters have doubts, but I've overcome those doubts in the past, such as before I fought Josh Taylor and Vasiliy Lomachenko,” Lopez said. “Throughout my career, I've always wanted to face the best and I'm always willing to challenge myself. After this fight, if I have the opportunity to step in the ring against other junior welterweight champions, my biggest goal will be to test and push my limits. I'm aiming for the Triple Crown.”
In the co-main event, former Cuban world champion Robeisy Ramirez (13-2, 8 KOs) will face Mexico’s Brandon Leon Benitez (21-2, 9 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout.
In the first televised bout, middleweight prospect Niko Ali Walsh (10-1, 5 KOs) will seek revenge in a six-round rematch against Sona Akhare (9-1, 4 KOs).
The bouts, which include Lopez vs. Clagett, Ramirez vs. Benitez and Ali Walsh vs. Aker II, will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10pm ET/7pm PT. Sky Sports will broadcast the event in the UK and Ireland.
