Teofimo Lopez targets three welterweight unifications, no mandatories

Teofimo Lopez wants his next three fights under his DAZN contract to be welterweight unifications, with no mandatory title defence in between. The newly crowned WBA champion is aiming to move from one title fight to another throughout the rest of the deal.

Lopez has identified Liam Paro as a possible first opponent. He also wants to meet the winner of Ryan Garcia’s fight with Conor Benn before eventually pursuing a bout against Devin Haney. Garcia and Benn are scheduled to meet on September 12, making the outcome of that contest central to Lopez’s proposed route.

Although a unification also involves defending the belts already held, Lopez’s plan would avoid a conventional defence against a ranked challenger. It would require approval from the WBA and the other sanctioning organisations involved, rather than DAZN alone.

The schedule could keep several contenders waiting for between 12 and 18 months. Negotiations would be needed between promoters, broadcasters and governing bodies for each contest, while the fighters would also require time for training, recovery and preparation. Lopez could therefore spend well over a year moving between major unifications if every stage is completed.

His return could also be affected by the cut above his right eyebrow suffered in the Romero fight. The Garcia-Benn winner would need time to recover after September 12 before talks with Lopez could progress, followed by another lengthy negotiation if Paro or Haney becomes the next target.

Unification fights are often given priority because they reduce the number of champions in a division. Three consecutive exceptions, however, would leave ranked boxers needing additional fights to preserve their positions while Lopez pursues commercially attractive contests. The plan also depends on him winning each bout; a defeat would transfer the titles to another champion and could create a fresh request for similar exceptions.