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Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider
Teofimo Lopez and Subriel Matias are finalizing a deal for a March 15 fight for Lopez’s WBO junior welterweight title, sources told ESPN on Monday.
The 140-pound title fight — Lopez’s third defense — will headline Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ PPV. There’s no location set but the bout will take place in the U.S.
Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) is ESPN’s No. 1 junior welterweight. The former undisputed lightweight champion is coming off a June decision victory over Canadian-level fighter Steve Claggett. Before that, Lopez struggled in a decision win over Jamaine Ortiz in February.
The 27-year-old Brooklyn, New York, native won the title in dominant fashion from Josh Taylor in June 2023. Lopez’s best win came in October 2020 when he outpointed future Hall of Famer Vasiliy Lomachenko for the lightweight championship.
Matias (21-2, 21 KOs) is ESPN’s No. 8 boxer at 140 pounds. He lost his IBF junior welterweight title to Liam Paro in June in a major upset in Puerto Rico, where he was born and still resides.
The 32-year-old volume puncher is one of the sport’s top action fighters. Matias rebounded from his second loss with a second-round TKO of career opponent Roberto Ramirez in November. Matias avenged his previous loss with a ninth-round TKO of Petros Ananyan in January 2022.
Matias won the IBF title with a fifth-round TKO of Jeremias Ponce in February 2023 and stopped Shohjahon Ergashev in Round 5 later that year in his lone successful defense.