MIAMI — Teófimo López slides 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 at age 5. It was near here, approximately 20 miles away in Davie, where Lopez began training boxing a year later under the guidance of his father, Teofimo Lopez Sr.
And that's where Lopez will return Saturday at age 26, with his father still in the corner, for his first pro fight in Miami, when he defends his WBO junior welterweight title against Steve Claggett (10 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+).
Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) is once again looking to build momentum. He stated he would retire last summer after his impressive win over Josh Taylor to become a two-division champion. Then in February, Lopez battled to a decision win over Jamaine Ortiz in an uneventful fight that drew boos.
Lopez, perhaps, just needed a break. He rested after his last fight, Lopez told ESPN earlier this month in Little Havana, and now he feels rejuvenated.
“I think that was a good thing for me; I think I needed that overall,” said Lopez, ESPN's No. 10 pound-for-pound fighter. “I was training right after my fight with Josh Taylor. So, really, you're looking at like eight months of camp.”
For the second fight in a row, Lopez will be facing someone who is below the elite level. Against an opponent tailored to him in Claggett, Lopez could use another standout knockout to build anticipation for a much bigger showdown down the road.
He's a uniquely gifted fighter, an athletic boxer-puncher with a creative offensive arsenal. There's the Lopez who defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko (2020) and Taylor. Both were stunning performances that made Lopez the linear champion (Lomachenko at 135 pounds, Taylor at 140).
However, López has also been prone to disappointment. He was edged out by George Kambosos Jr. in ESPN's 2021 Surprise of the Year. The fight, his first after the victory against Lomachenko, took place in November of that year in New York. It was originally scheduled for June at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. He then fell ill with COVID-19, which canceled the homecoming fight Lopez was looking forward to and took him off track.
Lopez moved up to 140 pounds later, and Saturday's fight will be his fifth in that weight class. The showdown with Claggett (38-7-2, 26 KOs) is a fight that will keep him busy. Despite 47 professional fights, the 35-year-old Canadian has never competed in a 12-round fight.
Claggett was chosen, apparently, because he presents an easy target to produce Lopez's first KO victory since August 2022. Lopez is -135 to do exactly that, according to ESPN BET, and -1200 to win outright.
“When they announced the fight with Claggett, I was surprised because he should dominate and win no matter how long the fight lasts,” veteran matchmaker Eric Bottjer told ESPN. “… Lopez is in another world, so this fight should not be competitive… It's just a time-keeping fight. It's for Teofimo to stay busy, with his mind on boxing.”
Lopez referred to Claggett as a “tough, rugged” fighter. In other words, he won’t offer a slick boxing-and-movement style like Ortiz, who frustrated Lopez in a close fight. Sandor Martin, whom Lopez barely outpointed in December 2022, boxed similarly.
“Steve Claggett is someone who just shows up,” Lopez said. “… I don't like guys who talk about it just to get a paycheck and don't show up to fight.”
Regardless of the style of the three opponents, none of them represent anything remotely approaching a marquee fight for Lopez, a rising star with an outsized personality.
Lopez plans to return in September – “we have something in mind” – and hopes to fight for the fourth time in December. He says big fights “are right around the corner,” although it's unclear when.
He seems frustrated by the fact that other big names in his division, according to Lopez, don't want to take the risk of fighting him.
“Everyone has to accept it: When you lose to Teofimo, you're not losing to the worst guy,” Lopez said. “You're losing to the best guy. So accept the fact that that loss is just a lesson for you to know that I was a better man. That's all.”
The junior welterweight division that Lopez is in offers some intriguing options. Star boxer Gervonta “Tank” Davis competed at 140 pounds once and has discussed a return. He is in talks to face Lomachenko later this year in a lightweight title unification.
Another star, Ryan Garcia, is suspended until April 2025 after he tested positive for a banned substance before his fight with Devin Haney. Haney just vacated his 140-pound title and appears headed to welterweight.
While Lopez has never campaigned above 140 pounds, he highlighted Terence Crawford, who challenges Israil Madrimov for a junior middleweight title on August 3.
“I can fight at 54,” Lopez said. “… It doesn't matter how big they are, it's about your skills. It's about how you fight, how you're able to handle it. As long as your legs are strong, you can move up in any weight class.”
Lopez says that when he fought Taylor, he weighed 152 pounds on fight night, while Taylor weighed 165.
“Is [Crawford] “Are you willing to do one more big fight?” Lopez asked. “We'll see. I think he's just focused on getting paid and saying, 'Bye. I did my thing.'”
“But I don't think a guy like him, who's so competitive, wants to go out like that. You can't say you're the best; you have to face a guy like me. I talk a lot of shit, but I stand by it.”
In the meantime, Lopez will stay busy and look to find what has proven to be perhaps even more elusive than his skilled opponents: consistency.
“We have some things we have to work on,” Lopez said. “It's OK. That's part of it. I'm only 26. The way I fight it looks like I'm in my prime when I'm in my 30s, but I'm not. I'm still a baby at this and I'm learning. So I think the best part is I know I have time and time is my best friend.”
