With Vasiliy Lomachenko reportedly plotting comeback, Raymond Muratalla heads for August 8 defense
Raymond Muratalla’s riveting first defense of his IBF lightweight title has positioned him for a homecoming event in August, Boxing Scene has learned.
Muratalla, 24-0 (17 KOs), is being pointed to head an August 8 card at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, a neighboring town to where he was raised in working-class Fontana, California.
Muratalla, elevated to IBF champion upon the retirement of former three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, produced an entertaining first defense of the belt January 24 at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, defeating previously unbeaten 2021 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz of Cuba by majority decision scores of 118-110, 114-114, 116-112.
Muratalla, 29, had expressed interest in meeting new WBO 140lbs champion Shakur Stevenson, but an official close to the situation said the talks subsided and have perhaps fizzled.
Cruz was Muratalla’s mandatory challenger, so Muratalla has the freedom to select from a wider field while defending his belt for a second time.
The list of IBF-ranked lightweights includes No. 3-ranked Albert Bell,
Muratalla, No. 13 Lucas Bahdi and No. 14 Floyd Schofield Jnr, who’s ranked No. 1 by the WBA.
Muratalla’s news came as The Ring reported Tuesday that Lomachenko, 38, is considering a comeback. Tuesday marked the two-year anniversary of his title victory over George Kambosos.
An official familiar with the situation said Ukraine’s two-time Olympic gold-medalist Lomachenko is no longer under contract with his longtime professional promoter, Top Rank. In The Ring story, an official reported he only wants to participate in big fights.
Lomachenko has long wanted to fight recent WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis, who has been out of the ring since March 1, 2025, partially due to a criminal domestic violence case in Florida.
Davis is being targeted for an early fall return bout, Boxing Scene was told earlier this month.
“Or maybe he could fight Muratalla,” one official said.
Raymond Muratalla vs. Robson Conceicao - August 1, 2026
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Re: Raymond Muratalla vs. TBA - August 8, 2026
Raymond Muratalla will defend his IBF lightweight title against Robson Conceicao on August 1st in Las Vegas.
The bout will serve as the co-main event to Lamont Roach vs William Zeped
The bout will serve as the co-main event to Lamont Roach vs William Zeped
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Re: Raymond Muratalla vs. Robson Conceicao - August 1, 2026
ROACH-ZEPEDA TOPS AUG. 1 SHOW, MURATALLA-CONCEICAO CO-MAIN
Two lightweight title fights are inching closer to being finalized for the summer schedule.
Lamont Roach and William Zepeda are reportedly set to square off for the vacant WBC title to headline a show on August 1 in Las Vegas, while IBF champion Raymond Muratalla makes the second defense of his crown against Robson Conceicao in the co-main event.
DAZN's Chris Mannix reported the development on Saturday and alluded that the winners of each fight would later square off for a title unification bout.
Roach (25-1-3, 10 KOs) last fought in December to a majority draw against Isaac Cruz in a 140-pound fight. It was the second consecutive majority draw for Roach, who also endured an inconclusive result against Gervonta Davis in March 2025.
Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs) hasn't fought since suffering a unanimous decision defeat in July against then WBC 135-pound champion Shakur Stevenson. The WBC stripped Stevenson of his title in February, days after he beat Teofimo Lopez for The Ring and WBO 140-pound titles.
Muratalla (24-0, 17 KOs) defended his IBF crown for the first time in January while scoring a career-best decision win against Andy Cruz.
Conceicao (21-3-1, 10 KOs), a 2016 Olympic gold medalist, has been keeping busy in Brazil for his last two outings after dropping the WBC 130-pound title during an O'Shaquie Foster rematch in November 2024.
Two lightweight title fights are inching closer to being finalized for the summer schedule.
Lamont Roach and William Zepeda are reportedly set to square off for the vacant WBC title to headline a show on August 1 in Las Vegas, while IBF champion Raymond Muratalla makes the second defense of his crown against Robson Conceicao in the co-main event.
DAZN's Chris Mannix reported the development on Saturday and alluded that the winners of each fight would later square off for a title unification bout.
Roach (25-1-3, 10 KOs) last fought in December to a majority draw against Isaac Cruz in a 140-pound fight. It was the second consecutive majority draw for Roach, who also endured an inconclusive result against Gervonta Davis in March 2025.
Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs) hasn't fought since suffering a unanimous decision defeat in July against then WBC 135-pound champion Shakur Stevenson. The WBC stripped Stevenson of his title in February, days after he beat Teofimo Lopez for The Ring and WBO 140-pound titles.
Muratalla (24-0, 17 KOs) defended his IBF crown for the first time in January while scoring a career-best decision win against Andy Cruz.
Conceicao (21-3-1, 10 KOs), a 2016 Olympic gold medalist, has been keeping busy in Brazil for his last two outings after dropping the WBC 130-pound title during an O'Shaquie Foster rematch in November 2024.
Re: Raymond Muratalla vs. Robson Conceicao - August 1, 2026
I have no idea why but I always want Conceicao to win.
Doesn't matter who he's fighting, I'm Team Conceicao.
Doesn't matter who he's fighting, I'm Team Conceicao.
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Re: Raymond Muratalla vs. Robson Conceicao - August 1, 2026
Raymond Muratalla-Robson Conceicao makes August 1 card a two-fisted lightweight title show
Raymond Muratalla’s second defense of his IBF lightweight title will take place August 1 versus Brazil’s former super-featherweight world champion Robson Conceicao in Las Vegas.
An official familiar with the negotiations confirmed the information to Boxing Scene Sunday after DAZN and Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix first reported the news.
It marks a second consecutive bout against an Olympic gold medalist for Fontana, California’s Muratalla, 24-0 (17KOs), who made his first successful title defense in January in a fight-of-the-year contender versus Cuba’s 2021 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz.
Muratalla, 29, inherited the IBF title when two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-division world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko retired last year.
Originally, Boxing Scene was told Muratalla promoter Top Rank aimed to give Muratalla a homecoming title defense August 8 at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.
Top Rank’s union with DAZN, however, allowed for the bout to strengthen the August 1 DAZN card being promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
In a bout for the vacant WBC lightweight title, Golden Boy’s recent title challenger William Zepeda, 33-1 (27KOs), of Mexico will meet former super-featherweight champion Lamont Roach Jnr, 25-1-3 (10 KOs), in the main event.
The venue in Las Vegas has not been finalized, but MGM Grand appears open.
The 37-year-old Conceicao, 21-3-1 (10 KOs), won his gold medal at the Summer Games in Brazil in 2016, then claimed the WBC super-featherweight title in a disputed split-decision over current champion O’Shaquie Foster, who avenged his loss by split decision less than four months later.
Conceicao is the IBF’s No. 12-ranked contender has fought twice in Brazil since the Foster loss, knocking out Yonnaiquer Rondon in August, then defeating Helber Rojas, 26-15-2, on April 4.
Raymond Muratalla’s second defense of his IBF lightweight title will take place August 1 versus Brazil’s former super-featherweight world champion Robson Conceicao in Las Vegas.
An official familiar with the negotiations confirmed the information to Boxing Scene Sunday after DAZN and Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix first reported the news.
It marks a second consecutive bout against an Olympic gold medalist for Fontana, California’s Muratalla, 24-0 (17KOs), who made his first successful title defense in January in a fight-of-the-year contender versus Cuba’s 2021 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz.
Muratalla, 29, inherited the IBF title when two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-division world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko retired last year.
Originally, Boxing Scene was told Muratalla promoter Top Rank aimed to give Muratalla a homecoming title defense August 8 at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.
Top Rank’s union with DAZN, however, allowed for the bout to strengthen the August 1 DAZN card being promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
In a bout for the vacant WBC lightweight title, Golden Boy’s recent title challenger William Zepeda, 33-1 (27KOs), of Mexico will meet former super-featherweight champion Lamont Roach Jnr, 25-1-3 (10 KOs), in the main event.
The venue in Las Vegas has not been finalized, but MGM Grand appears open.
The 37-year-old Conceicao, 21-3-1 (10 KOs), won his gold medal at the Summer Games in Brazil in 2016, then claimed the WBC super-featherweight title in a disputed split-decision over current champion O’Shaquie Foster, who avenged his loss by split decision less than four months later.
Conceicao is the IBF’s No. 12-ranked contender has fought twice in Brazil since the Foster loss, knocking out Yonnaiquer Rondon in August, then defeating Helber Rojas, 26-15-2, on April 4.