Rodriguez-Lopez for IBF bantamweight title

Emmanuel Rodriguez. Getty Images
Emmanuel Rodriguez. Getty Images

Emmanuel Rodriguez (21-2, 13 KOs) and Melvin Lopez (29-1, 19 KOs) will fight for the vacant IBF world bantamweight title. The promotion organization TGB Promotions won the tender to organize this fight, offering a bet of only 25,000 dollars.

The fight should take place in the summer in the United States. Previously, the belt of the International Boxing Federation in this division belonged to Naoya Inoue, who moved up to a heavier weight category.

Rodriguez, who last fought in October, was already a world champion in that weight in the past. For Lopez, this will be the first opportunity in his professional career to win the prestigious trophy.