Ryan Garcia Pushes Teofimo Lopez Toward December Decision

WBA welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez has proposed a May 2027 date for a title unification bout against WBC champion Ryan Garcia, rejecting Garcia's push to fight in December. Garcia publicly challenged Lopez on X, prompting Lopez to state that he had previously met with Golden Boy Boxing to outline a May target following Garcia's victory over Conor Benn.

A potential clash faces scheduling hurdles due to Lopez's mandatory obligations. The WBA has ordered Lopez to negotiate a title defense against Jack Catterall, setting an October 22 deadline before potentially calling for a purse bid. Lopez must resolve the mandatory defense, secure an exception, or vacate his WBA title before facing Garcia.