Luis Alberto Lopez successfully defended his IBF 126-pound title for the second time by defeating mandatory challenger Reiya Abe with an eighth-round technical knockout in Verona, New York in March. (Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
Luis Alberto Lopez is considering a path that might delay his unification aspirations.
The IBF featherweight champion is contemplating a potential matchup in the 130-pound division if he doesn’t face another titleholder next. Lopez from Mexicali, ranked No. 2 in The Ring’s featherweight rankings, showed dominance in his eight-round victory over mandatory challenger Reiya Abe in an ESPN+ co-feature on March 2. At the same event, Raymond Savage Ford claimed the vacant WBA featherweight title by defeating Otabek Khormatov via knockout in the 12th round.
Although his dream is to hold titles at 126 pounds, Lopez expressed interest in moving up to 130. He mentioned his desire to face the winner of the upcoming bout between former two-division titlist Oscar Valdez and Liam Wilson.
Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) has ventured beyond the featherweight division in non-title fights. However, facing Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) from Australia and especially his fellow countryman Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) (ranked 7th at 130) holds more significance for him.
With Top Rank promoting the featherweight division, a potential unification fight remains on the cards. The company is finalizing a rematch for the WBO 126-pound title between Rafael Espinoza and Robesy Ramirez scheduled later this summer.
Camden’s Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs) has shared intentions of meeting the required weight before and after his impressive knockout triumph. The 24-year-old southpaw might stick around at featherweight for one more fight at most. However, if The Ring’s 10th-ranked featherweight triumphs over Rey Vargas (36-1, 22 KOs), the WBC titlist ranked 3rd, or faces England’s Nick Ball (19-0, 11 KOs), plans for a possible unification showdown are already in the works for 126 pounds. This event is scheduled for this Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For now, Lopez will be keenly observing the ESPN+ headliner on March 29 featuring Valdez versus Wilson at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Mexico’s Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs), a former two-division champion, suffered a defeat to compatriot Emmanuel Navarrete (38-1-1, 30 KOs), the world’s top-ranked boxer, at 130 pounds on August 12. Valdez is aiming for a comeback. Wilson has secured two consecutive victories since his loss to Navarrete on February 3 of the previous year.
Both Valdez and Wilson faced defeats against Navarrete at the Desert Diamond Arena.
Lopez has reigned as the IBF 126-pound champion since his triumph over Josh Warrington (31-3-1, 8 KOs) in a majority decision in Leeds, England, in December 2022. Following that, he defeated Michael Conlan by fifth-round knockout (18-3, 9 KOs) in the challenger’s hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland, in May last year and successfully defended his title in England thereafter.
Upon returning to North America, Lopez overcame former title challenger Joet Gonzalez (26-4, 15 KOs) on September 15 last year in Corpus Christi, Texas. His match against Abe, ranked eighth at 126, at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, displayed Lopez’s dominance as he landed 135 out of 293 power punches, causing visible damage to Abe with a bloody nose and a swollen right eye before the fight was stopped in the eighth round.
Lopez has extended his winning streak to 13 matches with this victory over Abe, consistently competing at featherweight or just above it in his last seven fights. His last bout at junior lightweight resulted in a comprehensive unanimous decision win over the then-undefeated Gabriel Flores in September 2021 in Tucson, Arizona.
Jake Donovan, a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), contributes to this article. Connect with him on Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
