Teofimo Lopez to defend 140 crown against Shakur Stevenson on Jan. 31
135-pound titleholder will move up in weight for a major fight in New York as he seeks belt in a fourth weight class
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The fight between lineal/WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez and WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson in the works for months is finally official.
Lopez will defend the 140-pound crown against Stevenson, who will move up from 135 pounds, in the headliner of The Ring 6 card on Jan. 31, Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh, the owner of Ring magazine, announced on Monday.
He also announced that the fight will take place in New York, but no venue was specified. However, multiple sources told Fight Freaks Unite that it will take place in the main arena at Madison Square Garden.
The bout will headline a DAZN pay-per-view card promoted by Matchroom Boxing but will be available at no additional cost to those who subscribe to DAZN’s new “ultimate” package that includes all pay-per-view events.
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“This fight between two huge talents will provide an exciting start to our plans for 2026 and as we look to create another great year of boxing events around the world,” Alalshikh said. “We are looking forward to returning to New York in January and producing another big world title fight that fans have been waiting for.”
Former unified lightweight champion Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs), 28, a Brooklyn, New York, native fighting out of Las Vegas, will make his fourth junior welterweight title defense against fellow 2016 Rio Olympian Stevenson, who won a silver medal for the United States while Lopez represented his parents’ home country of Honduras.
“Let’s get ready to rumble,” Lopez said. “‘The Takeover’ is here to stay, not play. Make boxing great again is my forte. Shakur will fall in nine.”
Lopez moved up to junior welterweight in 2023 and outpointed Josh Taylor to win the title at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Decision wins in defenses followed against Jamaine Ortiz, Steve Claggett and, most recently, interim titlist Arnold Barboza Jr. in a mandatory fight on May 2 on a Ring magazine card in New York’s Time Square.
Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), 28, a southpaw from Newark, New Jersey, a former featherweight and unified junior lightweight titlist before outpointing Edwin De Los Santos for the vacant WBC lightweight title in November 2023, will be seeking to win a world title in a fourth division.
“I have never shied away from a challenge and always chased the biggest fights in the sport because I know I am one of the best boxers in the world,” Stevenson said. “Teofimo Lopez will learn that firsthand on Jan. 31 when I take his belt and show him that there are levels to this game. New York, get ready for a spectacular performance as I take over a fourth straight weight division.”
At lightweight, Stevenson made three defenses, a lopsided decision over Artem Harutyunyan, a ninth-round knockout of late replacement Josh Padley and, most recently, an impressive and lopsided unanimous decision over fearsome puncher and interim titleholder William Zepeda in a mandatory bout on July 12 on The Ring 3 card at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.
Lopez and Stevenson, who have known each other for years and were once stablemates when they were both promoted by Top Rank, had spent recent months going back and forth on social media accusing the other of ducking the fight when it was actually being negotiated all along between their handlers and Alalshikh.
They have even boxed on the same undercard twice, when Terence Crawford faced Amir Kkan in 2019 and Felix Diaz in 2017.
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Dan- we keep asking you about PPV numbers on the last Prime PPV fight. If you don’t know it just tell us.
Well that’s exciting, I could see this being a potentially a stinker, but I’m in!