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TEOFIMO LOPEZ PREDICTS EARLY KNOCKOUT VICTORY OVER GEORGE KAMBOSOS

Lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez has predicted that he’ll stop George Kambosos early when the two meet in June.

Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Unified Lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) is confident that his upcoming title defense against George Kambosos Jr. (19-0, 10 KOs) won’t go the distance. 

After the unbeaten Lopez scored a triumphant victory over former titleholder Vasiliy Lomachenko last October in Las Vegas, talk quickly shifted to who he would face in his first title defense. In a stacked Lightweight division, the 23-year-old had options, but Kambosos, who serves as the mandatory challenger to Lopez’s IBF title, was the one who ended up answering the call. 

A native of Australia, the 27-year-old Kambosos is undefeated as a professional and is coming off an October 2020 decision victory over Lee Selby that earned him his status as a mandatory challenger and the opportunity to face Lopez. 

“I think that he’s a strong fighter, hungry fighter, someone that’s gonna want to come in aggressive, you know, and it’s gonna be a good fight,” Lopez told Fight Hub TV (via Bad Left Hook). “It’s gonna be one of those fights that you guys see toe-to-toe. And it’s one of those type of events where this guy is one of those guys that has to prove something to himself, and this guy, he still has to prove something himself. So it’s gonna be a great matchup.”

Although it hasn’t officially been announced yet, Triller, who won the rights to the fight with a monstrous bid, is expected to confirm the details of the matchup later this week. At this moment, it’s believed that fight will take place on June 5 in Miami. 

Ahead of the meeting, Kambosos has been a bit outspoken and has taken a few shots at the defending champion, but Lopez himself doesn’t put much stock into his opponent’s pre-fight talk. 

“My whole thing is like, it’s cool, whatever,” Lopez said. “Say what you gotta say…do what you gotta do, but at the end of it all ain’t nobody gonna trash talk better than I can.”

And of course, Lopez and his father, Teofimo Sr., have never been shy about voicing their opinions either. In this case, the elder Lopez has predicted an early stoppage on fight night, which is something Teofimo seems to agree with wholeheartedly. 

“Oh yeah,” Lopez said. It will [be a quick fight]. Me and him talk about it, and we both agree on it — same thing we sat down and talked about with Commey…It won’t go past three, and that’s what I stay on…I’m even thinking about putting money on it. So yeah, Kambosos, you’re going down within three.”

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