Teofimo Lopez Sr. expressed his desire for his son, Teofimo Jr., the WBO light welterweight champion, to face the winner of the upcoming fight between Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero and Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz on March 30th. When asked about the possibility of a unification match against Devin Haney, the WBC 140-lb champion, Teofimo Sr. dismissed the idea, stating that his son needs to focus on his upcoming fight and that a match with Haney is unlikely in the near future. It is evident that Lopez Sr. prefers a potentially easier opponent for Teofimo, the winner of the Rolly vs. Pitbull fight. Before any of this can happen, however, Teofimo must successfully defend his WBO title in a voluntary defense against Jamaine Ortiz on February 8th. The fight will take place at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas and will be broadcasted on ESPN and ESPN+.
Teofimo Sr. expressed his thoughts on the Rolly vs. Pitbull fight, acknowledging that it is a competitive matchup. Both fighters possess knockout power, and the outcome will depend on who performs better on the night of the fight. If Rolly loses to Cruz, a rematch is likely, meaning Teofimo Jr. will have to wait for the dust to settle before getting a chance to face the winner. Regardless of the outcome, Teofimo Sr. emphasized their readiness to unify the belts and take on whoever emerges victorious from the Rolly vs. Pitbull fight.
When asked about the possibility of a unification match against Devin Haney, Teofimo Sr. brushed it off, stating that their focus is solely on Jermaine Ortiz at the moment. Their priority is to put on a great performance on February 8th, and they will address any potential matchups after that. Teofimo Sr. made it clear that the fight with Haney is unlikely to happen, especially in the near future, despite their previous attempts to make it.