MIAMI – Teofimo Lopez glides around the ring with palm trees surrounding him in the place where it all began for the junior welterweight champion.
Lopez was born in Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in South Florida after moving there when he was 5. It was here, about 20 miles from Davie, that Lopez began training boxing a year later under the tutelage of his father, Teofimo Lopez Sr.
And Lopez returns to Miami on Saturday for his first pro fight at age 26, alongside his father, defending his WBO junior welterweight title against Steve Claggett (10 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+).
Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) is looking to build on his momentum. He claimed retirement after an impressive win over Josh Taylor last summer that made him a two-division champion. Then in February, Lopez struggled to a decision win over Jamain Ortiz in a booed, no-nonsense fight.
Lopez probably needed a break. He took a break after his last fight, Lopez told ESPN earlier this month in Little Havana. He feels rejuvenated now.
“I think it's been good for me. I think it was needed overall,” said Lopez, ESPN's No. 10 pound-for-pound boxer. “I trained right after the Josh Taylor fight. So it's been eight months of training.”
In his second straight outing, Lopez will face a less-than-elite opponent. Against a custom-made opponent in Claggett, Lopez could use another highlight-reel KO to generate buzz for a much bigger matchup down the road.
He is a uniquely talented fighter and a solid boxer-puncher with a creative offensive arsenal. Lopez defeated Vasily Lomachenko (2020) and Taylor. Both were incredible performances that made Lopez the lineal champion (Lomachenko at 135 pounds, Taylor at 140 pounds).
But Lopez also had a tendency to disappoint. He was outclassed by George Kambosos Jr. in ESPN's 2021 Upset of the Year. The match, the first since Lomachenko's victory, took place in New York in November of that year. It was originally scheduled to be held in June at Rondepo Park, home of the Miami Marlins. Then he contracted COVID-19, canceling the homecoming match Lopez was waiting for and getting off track.
Lopez has since moved up to 140 pounds, and Saturday’s fight will be his fifth in the weight class. The fight with Clagett (38-7-2, 26 KOs) is a busy fight. Despite 47 professional fights, the 35-year-old Canadian has never competed in a 12-round fight.
Claggett is listed as an easy target for Lopez to get his first knockout since August 2022. Lopez is -135 odds to do so and -1200 odds to win outright, according to ESPN BET.
“When they announced the fight with Claggett, I was surprised, because no matter how long the fight goes, he will dominate and win.” Longtime matchmaker Eric Botzer told ESPN. “… Lopez is in a different world so this fight can't be a contest. … It's just a marking time fight. The purpose is to keep Teofimo busy and mind his boxing.”
Lopez called Clagett a “tough, tough” fighter. In other words, he won’t offer the same slick box-and-move style as Ortiz, who frustrated Lopez in close fights. Sander Martin, who Lopez narrowly beat in December 2022, also boxed in a similar manner.
“Steve Claggett is just a guy who steps up.” Lopez said. “… I don’t like people who talk about it and don’t fight for a paycheck.”
Regardless of the styles of the three opponents, none of them appear to remotely match up to Lopez's main fight potential as a rising star with a distinctive personality.
Lopez plans to return in September – “We have something in mind” – and hopes to fight a fourth time in December. He said it's unclear when the big fight will happen, but “it's coming.”
According to Lopez, he seems frustrated that other high-profile fighters in his division are unwilling to take the risk of fighting him.
“Everyone has to accept it. Losing to Teofimo doesn’t mean losing to the worst person.” Lopez said. “You're losing to the best man, so accept that loss is just a lesson for you to know that I was just a better man. That's all.”
The junior welterweight division that Lopez is in offers some interesting options. Star boxer Gervonta “Tank” Davis once competed at 140 pounds and has discussed his return. He is in talks to meet Lomachenko in a lightweight title unification later this year.
Another star, Ryan Garcia, was suspended until April 2025 after testing positive for a banned substance before his fight with Devin Haney. Haney just gave up the 140-pound title and appears to be headed to welterweight.
Lopez has never campaigned above 140 pounds, but he has singled out Terence Crawford, who challenges Israel Madrimov for the junior middleweight title on Aug. 3.
“I can fight at 54,” Lopez said. “… No matter how big they are, it's your technique that counts. It's how you fight, how you endure. If you have strong legs, you can move up to any weight class.”
Lopez said that when he fought Taylor, he weighed 152 pounds and Taylor weighed 165 pounds.
“am [Crawford] Are you actually willing to have one more big fight?” Lopez asked. “We'll see. I think he's just focused on cashing in and saying 'goodbye'. I did my job.'
“But I don’t believe that someone like him, who is so competitive, would want to go out there like that. You can’t say you’re the best, because you have to face people like me. I talk a lot of bullshit, but I stand by it.”
In the meantime, Lopez will be busy and trying to find something even more elusive than a skilled opponent: consistency.
“There's a few things we have to work on,” Lopez said. “It's okay. That's part of it. I'm only 26. The way I fight, it looks like I'm in my 30s, but that's not true. I'm still a baby in this business, and I'm learning from it. So I think the best part is that I know I have time and time is my best friend.”