It was common knowledge that WBO featherweight titleholder Rafael Espinoza would defend his title in November, either in San Luis Potosi or his native Guadalajara.
Meanwhile in the background, talks have taken place to match Espinoza with former IBF titlist and The Ring's No. 5-rated contender Luis Alberto Lopez (31-3, 18 KOs).
However according to Lopez, the defending champion is reticent to accept the challenge and took to social media when sharing the latest update.
"fbeltranzanfer wants the fight, @trboxing @trboxeo already made me a formal offer and I accepted it without hesitation. All that's left is for you, CHAMPION @divino_espinoza to sign
3-4 we're in. Come on, Divino, let's give Mexico a good fight," he tweeted.Lopez's manager Kiki Magaña also weighed in on the potential fight.
"Zanfer and Beltran as well as Top Rank loved that [this fight would be between] two Mexican warriors in Mexican territory," Magaña told The Ring.
"We honestly don’t know why Espinoza declined the offer because we know for a fact Top Rank even offered him a good purse to make it happen."
Espinoza (27-0, 23 KOs) fought almost exclusively in his homeland for the first decade of his career before seemingly coming from nowhere to get off the canvas and upset Robeisy Ramirez with a 12-round majority decision in December 2023.
The Ring's No. 1-rated featherweight, who stands 6ft-1, appears to have grown into his role as defending world champion after easily stopping Sergio Chirino in four rounds before needing six to dismiss Ramirez in their rematch 12 months later.
Most recently, the 31-year-old Mexican dropped and stopped longtime contender Edward Vazquez with a seventh-round stoppage win on May 4.
Lopez (31-3, 18 KOs), turned professional in 2015 and moved through the ranks but dropped 10-round decisions to Abraham Montoya and Ruben Villa while learning on the job.
The Mexicali native won nine consecutive bouts, notably beating the previously-unbeaten trio of Cristian Baez (TKO 5) and Isaac Lowe (KO 7) inside the distance as well as Gabriel Flores Jr (UD 10) to become IBF mandatory challenger for Josh Warrington's belt.
When that chance came, he edged out a 12-round majority decision win over Warrington in the champion's Leeds hometown in December 2022.
Keeping with the road warrior theme, he took his newly minted title to Michael Conlan's Belfast backyard and stunned locals by stopping the Irishman in five rounds before beating Joet Gonzalez (UD 12) and Reiya Abe (TKO 8).
That all preceded him coming unstuck rather dramatically against Angelo Leo in August 2024, though he returned to the win column in March with a first-round knockout win over Eduardo Montoya on home soil.