Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett:
Lopez wins by UD.
Robeisy Ramirez vs. Brandon Leon Benitez:
Ramirez wins by TKO in the 7th round.
Nico Ali Walsh vs. Sona Akale:
Walsh wins by UD.
Emiliano Vargas vs. Jose Zaragoza:
Vargas wins by TKO in the 1st round.
Elvis Rodriguez vs. Jino Rodrigo:
Rodriguez wins by UD.
Lorenzo Medina vs. Detrailous Webster:
Medina wins by UD.
Rohan Polanco vs. Luis Hernandez Ramos:
Polanco wins by TKO in the 2nd round.
Yan Santana vs. Brandon Valdes:
Santana wins by UD.
Euri Cedeno vs. Dormedes Potes:
Cedeno wins by KO in the 1st round.
WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez defends his titles against Canadian contender Steve Claggett at the James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami, Florida. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+, with Sky Sports airing the event in the UK and Ireland.
Teofimo Lopez, a two-weight lineal champion, has had a remarkable career trajectory. He captured the IBF lightweight world title with a second-round knockout against Richard Commey in December 2019 and later claimed the WBA, WBO, and WBC Franchise titles by defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020. Despite a shocking upset loss to George Kambosos Jr. in November 2021, Lopez rebounded by winning the WBO and Ring Magazine titles from Josh Taylor in June 2023. He defended his crown with a unanimous decision over Jamaine Ortiz in February.
“I have always wanted to fight in South Florida, where I grew up and developed as a fighter. This is like a Rocky Balboa story for Steve Claggett.”
Watch the official press conference highlights on YouTube:
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Steve Claggett, a 15-year veteran from Calgary, Canada, is coming off an impressive run. He has not lost a fight since 2021, going 4-0 with two knockouts in 2023. Claggett captured the NABF junior welterweight title in March and defended it with a TKO victory over former world champion Alberto Machado in June. He continued his winning streak by defeating Carlos Sanchez and Miguel Madueño later in the year.
“I have worked my entire life for this opportunity, and I intend to make the most of it.”
Watch MIC'D UP! | Teofimo Tells Claggett "I Like Challenges" At Faceoff:
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The co-main event will see Cuban former WBO world champion Robeisy Ramirez (13-2, 8 KOs) face Mexico’s Brandon Leon Benitez (21-2, 9 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout.
Ramirez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba, is looking for a confidence boost after losing his WBO 126-lb title to Rafael Espinoza last December in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The height, reach, and high work rate of the 6’1″ Espinoza posed significant problems for Robeisy, who managed to knock Espinoza down in the fifth round but failed to capitalize on it, leading to a dominant comeback by Espinoza who eventually dropped Robeisy in the 12th round.
At 30 years old, Robeisy has lost twice in his relatively short five-year professional career. Despite this, his extensive amateur experience suggests he can rebound effectively against top-tier competition, provided he doesn't face someone with the physical advantages of Espinoza.
Robeisy needs to adapt his strategy to succeed against taller fighters like Espinoza. His amateur style of throwing single pot shots proved ineffective against a high-volume puncher.
Watch Ramirez vs. Espinoza highlights:
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In the six-round televised opener, middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh (10-1, 5 KOs) will attempt to avenge his only pro defeat in a rematch against Sona Akale (9-1, 4 KOs).
Ali Walsh went 8-0 before suffering his first professional defeat against Akale last August in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The grandson of “The Greatest” bounced back with a points victory over Noel Lafargue last December in Conakry, Guinea, and made his 2024 debut with a six-round unanimous decision win against Charles Stanford in March. Ali Walsh thrived in his only previous rematch, knocking out Reyes Sanchez in two rounds in August 2022 after narrowly defeating him by majority decision the previous December. Akale heads into the rematch after a decision win over Tray Martin in a six-round bout last December.
Watch Walsh vs. Akale highlights:
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Moreover in the undercard, Junior welterweight Rohan Polanco (12-0, 7 KOs) returns in an eight-rounder against Mexican veteran Luis Hernandez (23-4, 20 KOs). Polanco thrilled South Florida fans last December with a sixth-round TKO over Keith Hunter in Pembroke Pines.
Middleweight puncher Euri Cedeño (8-0-1, 7 KOs), an Olympic teammate of Polanco’s, looks to extend his winning streak to three in an eight-rounder against Colombian southpaw Dormedes Potes (14-6-1, 10 KOs). Additionally, rising Dominican prospect Yan Santana (11-0, 11 KOs) seeks his 12th straight knockout in a 10-rounder against the resilient Brandon Valdes (15-4, 7 KOs), who is coming off a decision loss to Ruben Villa last September. South Florida-born heavyweight fan favorite Lorenzo Medina (10-0, 9 KOs) fights Baltimore native Colby Madison (11-7-2, 7 KOs) in a six-rounder, aiming for his fourth consecutive knockout. Puerto Rican middleweight prospect Bryan Polaco (6-0, 4 KOs) faces fellow unbeaten Richard Acevedo (6-0-1, 5 KOs) in a six-rounder.
Main card:
▪️Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett, 12 rounds, for Lopez’s WBO super lightweight title
▪️Robeisy Ramirez vs. Brandon Leon Benitez, 10 rounds, featherweight
▪️Nico Ali Walsh vs. Sona Akale, 6 rounds, middleweight
Prelims (Starts at 5:45 pm ET):
▪️Emiliano Vargas vs. Jose Zaragoza, 8 rounds, super lightweight
▪️Elvis Rodriguez vs. Jino Rodrigo, 10 rounds, junior welterweight
▪️Lorenzo Medina vs. Detrailous Webster, 6 rounds, heavyweight
▪️Rohan Polanco vs. Luis Hernandez Ramos, 8 rounds, junior welterweight
▪️Yan Santana vs. Brandon Valdes, 10 rounds, super featherweight
▪️Euri Cedeno vs. Dormedes Potes, 8 rounds, middleweight
Watch Lopez vs. Claggett weigh-in highlights on YouTube:
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