This fight comes after Haney's recent win over Jose Ramirez. Many expected Haney to have a rematch with Ryan Garcia. Haney and Garcia fought in April 2024, with Garcia winning. But that result got changed to a no contest when Garcia failed a drug test.
Garcia's plans for a rematch with Haney fell apart when he lost to Rolly Romero in a surprise defeat. This loss threw the rematch into doubt.
Now, Haney will take on Lopez instead. Lopez currently holds the WBO super-lightweight title. There's a lot of bad blood between these two fighters.
Bill Haney, Devin's father, shared some strong words about the upcoming fight. He said Devin plans to 'punish' Lopez for all the disrespect he's shown.
"Devin told me he will beat Teofimo for all the disrespect he has uttered, to tell him, 'Take it back' every round and take back every word he's said disrespecting the culture."
Bill Haney didn't stop there. He added:
"He knows Devin is going to be a punishment. There will be no more Teofimo Lopez; just like there's been no more JoJo Diaz; [Vasiliy] Lomachenko; [Jorge] Linares; Regis Prograis [other opponents beaten by Haney]. [Lopez is] picking people and barking up the wrong tree."
The build-up to this fight has already seen some controversy. Lopez got accused of making racist remarks, which he denies.
Oscar De La Hoya weighed in on the fight too. He thinks Haney needs to change his style to make the fight more exciting for fans.
The boxing world will watch closely as these two champions step into the ring on August 16. With all the bad blood and high stakes, it's sure to be an intense battle.