Teofimo Lopez Wins Three-Division Title, Names His Next Target

Teofimo Lopez is a three-weight world champion, and he wasted no time telling everyone who he wants next. Lopez took the WBA welterweight strap off Rolly Romero by majority decision at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, adding a third divisional title to a résumé that already spans lightweight and 140.

The margin was thin, but the plan afterward wasn't. In his post-fight presser, Lopez pointed straight to the September 12 WBC title fight between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn, saying he'll be watching closely and would happily take that winner. He noted his manager Keith Connolly handles Benn, and admitted a Benn win would tee up an easy transatlantic sell.

The Shortlist

Lopez laid out a clear order of operations. It's either the Garcia-Benn victor or IBF champ Liam Paro (28-1, 16 KO) up next, with Devin Haney deliberately parked at the back of the queue. That's not caution — it's timing. Lopez wants Haney last so the fight can carry undisputed stakes.

The Haney thing runs deep. Lopez still stews over his lightweight run, when he called himself undisputed after beating Vasiliy Lomachenko only for Haney to be recognized as the real WBC titleholder. Now Haney (33-0, 15 KO) holds the WBO welterweight belt as the unbeaten man in the room, and Lopez clearly wants that score settled on the biggest possible stage.

The numbers make the logic obvious. Garcia sits at 25-2 (20 KO), Benn at 25-1 (14 KO) fresh off a decision over Regis Prograis, and both are moving pieces on the same September card. Grab that winner or Paro now, keep sharp, and save Haney for a unification night that actually means something.

Whether the belts line up neatly enough for that clean undisputed shot is another question — the welterweight picture is crowded and everyone's holding a piece. But Lopez has done the maths in public, and he's betting his path runs through Las Vegas and, eventually, across the pond.