
via Getty
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 17: Teofimo Lopez Jr celebrates after defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko (not pictured) in their Lightweight World Title bout at MGM Grand Las Vegas Conference Center on October 17, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images)

via Getty
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 17: Teofimo Lopez Jr celebrates after defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko (not pictured) in their Lightweight World Title bout at MGM Grand Las Vegas Conference Center on October 17, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images)
Teofimo Lopez is the current unified lightweight champion of the world. He’s held the IBF title since 2019 and won the WBA, WBO, and The Ring magazine titles after defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020. After the Lomachenko fight, the IBF ordered Lopez to fight Kambosos for his title defense.
The IBF originally scheduled the fight to take place in Miami on June 19, Lopez’s hometown. However, Teofimo Lopez tested positive for Covid-19 just weeks before the fight.
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Since then, both camps were having trouble rescheduling the fight due to the fight’s purse, until Triller stepped in and bid $6.08 million for the rights. This meant that both Lopez and Kambosos will earn their highest purse ever with $3.912 million and $2.16 million respectively.
After recovering from Covid-19, Teofimo ‘The Takeover’ Lopez has begun training for his fight. ‘The Takeover’ posted a ridiculous Ab workout on Instagram to show his fans that he’s back in training. The unified lightweight champion looks like he’s getting back in shape.
Though Triller has not been able to set the location for the fight, the latest updates indicate that the fight will take place in the Middle East. Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh said, “We are currently working with the regulatory bodies to bring this fight to Saudi [Arabia] or UAE [United Arab Emirates] in October.
“We think it’s the perfect place for such a landmark fight.”
Triller originally scheduled the fight in Sydney, however, Lopez was not happy with the mandatory 14-day quarantine imposed by the Australian government. This disagreement led to an official statement released from the IBF stating that the fight shall take place in a location that doesn’t require quarantine.
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Also read: Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter Fight Can See a Purse Bid, PBC-Top Rank Isn’t Making a Deal
Teofimo Lopez Vs George Kambosos
This fight will mark Teofimo Lopez’s mandatory title defense. Ever since he defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko and became the unified lightweight champion, fans have been demanding a rematch between the two.
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George Kambosos became the No. 1 title contender for the IBF after a split decision win over Lee Selby in October last year. After his mandatory title defense, if Lopez is still the unified lightweight champion, a rematch with Lomachenko will be in the works.
The boxing world waits, as Triller looks to set a date and location for the title fight. Who do you think will win this highly awaited lightweight bout?
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