Ryan Garcia will square off against Teofimo Lopez in his forthcoming bout, following his commanding performance against Conor Benn last month, according to Sky Sports News.
The American fighter successfully defended his WBC welterweight title by stopping Benn in the second round at a Las Vegas venue. The British challenger proved no match for Garcia's explosive power, leading to negotiations now underway for a showdown with Lopez.
Lopez, also American, holds his own world title at welterweight after securing a majority decision triumph over Rolando Romero in August to capture the WBA belt. The two champions appear set to unify their titles in what would be a significant clash at the weight.
However, complications loom for Lopez's side. The WBA has ordered him to defend his title against Jack Catterall, the Lancashire fighter, but Lopez appears determined to pursue the Garcia matchup instead, potentially setting up a sanctioning body dispute.
Benn's immediate future remains uncertain following his second professional defeat to Garcia. His long-standing mentor Tony Sims has made clear that
Benn will never fight again at welterweight, signalling a permanent move up in weight for the 30-year-old.
The British fighter announced via social media that he intends to take time away from competition to recover and reassess his career path. Despite this hiatus, speculation persists about a potential trilogy encounter with Chris Eubank Jr., though no formal negotiations have been announced.
The Garcia-Benn clash itself had been preceded by considerable drama. At the final press conference in Las Vegas, Benn and Garcia exchanged heated words, with Lopez famously crashing the event in disguise, adding intrigue to the welterweight landscape.
