Teofimo Lopez has laid out his terms for a potential fight with Ryan Garcia. The WBO super-lightweight champion won't budge on his conditions for the high-profile bout.
Lopez, a two-weight world champion, defeated Josh Taylor in June 2023 to claim his current title. He's also known for his stint as the unified lightweight champion, where he held all four belts and notably beat Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Recently, Lopez has struggled to impress fans. He's come away with points victories against Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett, but these performances haven't set the world on fire. Now, he's looking for big-name fights in the super-lightweight division, with a potential move up to face Terence Crawford on the horizon.
Garcia, on the other hand, has had a rough time lately. He missed weight by over three pounds for his WBC super-lightweight title fight against Devin Haney in April. Though he dropped Haney three times in the fight, the result was later changed to a no contest due to a failed drug test. Garcia's now serving a ban until April 2025.
In a recent interview, Lopez made his stance clear on a potential Garcia fight:
"Ryan says catchweight, but I don't know catchweight. We can go to 147 and fight for a belt, I deal with world titles."
Lopez isn't interested in a catchweight bout. He's willing to move up to welterweight for the right opportunity, but only if there's a title on the line.
The champion also stressed the importance of drug testing:
"One thing thought about me – USADA. United States Anti-Doping Agency. Even if I gotta pay out of pocket."
Lopez insists on USADA testing for the fight, even if he has to foot the bill himself. This condition comes in light of Garcia's recent failed drug test.
These terms set a clear framework for negotiations. Lopez won't compromise on the weight class or drug testing protocols. The ball's now in Garcia's court to see if he'll meet these conditions once his ban is lifted.
