Teofimo Lopez vs. Lindolfo Delgado - IBF Ordered

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BREAKING: The IBF has ordered Lindolfo Delgado to fight Teofimo Lopez for its vacant junior welterweight title, sources tell The Ring’s @MikeCoppinger.

The title became available after Richardson Hitchins vacated the belt yesterday. Lopez was contemplating a move up to 147lbs but could now fight for another title at 140lbs next.

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[gilgamesh]

Man they just randomly put some guy you've never heard of in the mandatory positions so they can hand these guys belts don't they?

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Man they just randomly put some guy you've never heard of in the mandatory positions so they can hand these guys belts don't they?

Yh Duarte is 3rd, they should allow him to have his fight in May and then ordered Duarte-Delgado

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Teofimo Lopez Jnr next up for Lindolfo Delgado, vacant 140lbs title

Former two-division champion Teofimo Lopez Jnr has been notified that he is the next fighter in line to meet IBF top-ranked contender Lindolfo Delgado for the now-vacant 140lbs title.

Following the move of former belt holder Richardson Hitchins to Zuffa Boxing’s welterweight division, the IBF worked to order a title fight for Delgado, 24-0 (16 KOs), a 31-year-old from Mexico who most recently fought in November.

Both Oscar Duarte, Delgado’s Robert Garcia Boxing Academy stablemate, and former lightweight champion and No. 4 contender Keyshawn Davis have fights scheduled in May, however, leading to No. 5 contender Lopez, 22-2 (13 KOs), to be next in line for the title shot.

Lopez previously fought on January 31, losing a wide decision for the WBO 140lbs belt to four-division champion Shakur Stevenson at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Lopez told Boxing Scene afterward that he was planning to move to welterweight, but with WBC titleholder Ryan Garcia expressing interest in a first title defense versus England’s Conor Benn, Lopez will entertain the title-fight option.

Lopez co-manager Michael Borao said he was contacted Tuesday by the IBF about the Delgado fight opportunity, and said he and co-manager Keith Connolly plan to discuss possible next bouts with Lopez by next week.

The Ring Magazine first reported Lopez’s emergence in the IBF picture.

Duarte will meet Angel Fierro in a non-title bout May 2 at T-Mobile Arena after Hitchins withdrew because of an illness on the day of their scheduled February 21 title bout. Duarte is also ranked by the WBC and WBA.

Davis will meet Nahir Albright May 16 in promoter Top Rank’s first card on DAZN, in Norfolk, Virginia.

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IBF Requests Lopez Availability For Vacant 140-pound title matchup

For the IBF, the show must go on.

After being informed that Richardson Hitchins is vacating his junior welterweight title to move up in weight, the sanctioning body has reached out to Teofimo Lopez to find out his availability for a matchup against Lindolfo Delgado for the belt.

Initially, after falling ill and pulling out of his title defense against Oscar Duarte, Hitchins was ordered to defend his strap against Delgado, its No. 1 contender. However, after the Brooklyn native made his decision, the IBF pivoted to its next highest-ranked challenger to face Delgado (24-0, 16 KOs).

Lopez is No. 5 in the IBF. No. 2 is vacant and the Nos. 3 and 4 ranked contenders, Duarte and Keyshawn Davis, have fights lined up. Duarte returns May 2 against Angel Fierro in Las Vegas, while Davis is fighting Nahir Albright on May 16 in Norfolk, Virginia.

Lopez, of course, is coming off a lackluster showing, losing nearly every second of every round against Shakur Stevenson at “The Ring 6” in New York’s Madison Square Garden on January 31. In the process, Lopez lost his Ring and WBO junior welterweight titles.

A shot at another world title around might be tempting, but Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) said on numerous occasions that he plans on moving up to welterweight.

If Lopez informs the IBF that he won’t be participating, Arthur Biyarslanov would be next in line. The 30-year-old Russian is coming off a seventh-round stoppage over Jimerr Espinosa. Prior to that, he grabbed the biggest win of his career, a lopsided points victory over former champion Sergey Lipinets.

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Rumours that Lopez will go to Zuffa, at welterweight.

Turned down this fight, said he's gonna campaign at 147..

won't be surprised.