IBF champion Richard Commey will be defending his title against unbeaten mandatory challenger Teofimo Lopez at the Madison Square Garden in New York on December 14, according to reports.
A mandatory title fight between Commey (29-2, 26KOs) and Lopez (14-0, 11KOs) was ordered by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) on August 9, with the two sides granted a 30-day free negotiation period to reach terms before being subject to purse bid hearing at IBF headquarters in New Jersey.
While a deal has not yet been reached, all indications suggest that any lingering issues should be buttoned up well before the September 7 deadline.
Richard Commey claimed the title with a rousing 2nd round knockout of Isa Chaniev in February, which was followed up by a one-sided 8th round stoppage of former titlist Raymundo Beltran this past June.
The bout came three weeks prior to his next challenger being named when Lopez survived the toughest test of his career in outpointing Japan’s Masayoshi Nakatani.
The fight was ordered soon thereafter, though also surrounded by doubt as to whether it would happen straight away. Lopez—a Brooklyn-bred, Las Vegas-based knockout artist who represented Honduras in the 2016 Rio Olympics—revealed internal camp issues, in particular seeking harmony amongst his family before focusing on any future bouts.
The 22-year old noted that his next fight would undoubtedly be for a major title but stopping well short of acknowledging whether it would come within the time frame as ordered by the IBF.
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