Boxing fans will be in for a treat this weekend as they won’t be forced to dig into their wallets to watch one of the best fights of the year. Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a fight that’s been a long time coming will finally take place as Vasiliy Lomachenko meets Teofimo Lopez to unify the lightweight titles. Even better? It’ll be available to watch on free television as opposed to a fight of this magnitude generally being thrown behind a pay-per-view wall.
Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KO) transitioned from being arguably the greatest amateur boxer in history to being put on the fast track as a professional, fighting for a world title in just his second pro bout. He would suffer a loss in that fight, dropping a split decision to Orlando Salido. He rebounded in his next fight, taking a decision over Gary Russell Jr. and winning the WBO featherweight title. He would eventually move up to junior lightweight and then to lightweight, winning belts at every weight. He currently holds the WBA and WBO world titles.
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Lopez (15-0, 12 KO) didn’t enter the professional ranks with the same level of hype as Lomachenko but quickly proved himself an emerging star with a flashy style and serious skills. Aside from a flat performance in winning a decision against Masayoshi Nakatani, Lopez has impressed every time he has stepped into a ring. Most recently, Lopez won the IBF championship with a stunning second-round knockout of Richard Commey in December.
It’s going to be a busy week leading into one of the most lucrative fights of the year. CBS Sports will keep you up to date on everything going down at the MGM Grand with the latest news, top features and best bets to make for this loaded fight card on Saturday night. This page will be updated often, so be sure to bookmark it throughout the week.
Odds below provided via William Hill Sportsbook.
Lomachenko vs. Lopez fight card, odds
- Vasiliy Lomachenko (c) -420 vs. Teofimo Lopez (c) +330, IBF, WBA, WBO lightweight championship
- Arnold Barboza Jr. -210 vs. Alex Saucedo +175, junior welterweights
- Edgar Berlanga vs. Lanell Bellows, super middleweights
Lomachenko vs. Lopez info
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
- Location: MGM Grand — Las Vegas, Nevada
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET
- TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Lomachenko vs. Lopez news, features
Lomachenko vs. Lopez tale of the tape
Nickname | Hi-Tech | Él Brooklyn |
Record | 14-1, 10 KO | 15-0, 12 KO |
Titles | Current WBA, WBO and WBC lightweight champion, former WBO featherweight champion, former WBO junior lightweight champion | Current IBF lightweight champion |
Age | 32 | 23 |
Height | 5-foot-7 | 5-foot-8 |
| Weight | 135 pounds | 135 pounds |
Reach | 65.5 inches | 68.5 inches |
Stance | Southpaw | Orthodox |
Hometown | Oxnard, California, USA | Brooklyn, New York, USA |
Best wins | Gary Russell Jr. MD12 (2014), Roman Martinez KO5 (2016), Jorge Linares TKO10 (2018), Luke Campbell UD12 (2019) | Diego Magdaleno KO7 (2019), Masayoshi Nakatani UD12 (2019), Richard Commey TKO2 (2019) |
Notable losses | Orlando Salido SD12 (2014) | None |
