WBO and lineal junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez is primed for the spotlight, having been raised in South Florida, Lopez hopes to bring the heat Saturday night when he defends his titles against Canadian challenger Steve Claggett at James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida. Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs) is making the second defense of the title he won from Josh Taylor via upset unanimous decision last June. He defended the crown in February against Jamaine Ortiz and now turns his attention to Claggett (38-7-2, 26 KOs), a Calgary native who is unbeaten in nine fights since 2021. His winning streak includes victories over former champion Alberto Machado and a quality win over Miguel Madueño. This is what the challenger had to say on Thursday at the final press conference:

  

“This is something I’ve worked my whole life for. I feel like I have great momentum right now. It’s the time for me.”

 

“I don’t really care about what other people say. You can only control your perspective, so I do what I know is right and prepare like I best know. I sacrificed and put in the work.”

 

"The name of the game is to work on your weaknesses. I’ve made consistent improvements and stayed dedicated. I added all the things I couldn’t do to my game. I’ve been getting better every fight. I feel like I’m progressing more than ever now. It’s a nice time for me.”