In what’s viewed by many as something of a formality, super lightweight champ Teofimo Lopez will defend his WBO and Ring Magazine titles against Steve Claggett at the James L. Knight Center in Miami Beach on June 29. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast by ESPN+ in the U.S.
Thanks to his huge success in the lightweight and super lightweight divisions, Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs) still retains a position on most pound-for-pound lists. In May of last year, the enigmatic Brooklynite scored a unanimous decision win over Scotsman Josh Taylor to become a two-weight world champion and he previously reigned as the unified lightweight king.
WATCH: Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett, exclusively on ESPN+ in the US
At 35 years old, Claggett (38-7-2, 26 KOs) is nine years older than Lopez and he’s never mixed at this level. The challenger can pack a punch, but losses to the likes of Chris van Heerden, Danny O’Connor, Yves Ulysse Jr. and Mathieu Germain make fans and experts very sceptical about his chances against an elite operator.
The Sporting News provides odds and a final prediction for this super lightweight title fight.
Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett betting odds
Per BetMGM, Lopez is the -1000 favorite while Claggett is the +600 underdog.
Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett trends
- Lopez via KO/ TKO/ Tech. Dec/ DQ: -140
- Lopez via decision: +160
- Claggett via KO/TKO/Tech. Dec/ DQ: +1100
- Claggett via decision: +1400
- Draw: +2000
Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett prediction, best bets
In recent outings against boxer movers, Lopez has not performed well. He was considered fortunate to win a decision over European champ Sandor Martin in December 2022, while fans were booing halfway through his points victory over Jamaine Ortiz last time out.
Claggett is none of the above. The Canadian is a come-forward aggressor who lets his hands go, attacks the body and leaves plenty of gaps. It’s against this type of balls-to-the-wall offensive force that Lopez excels. Expect “The Takeover” to outbox Claggett, but he’ll also match the challenger up close with power shots and the uppercut will be a key weapon through his opponent's high guard.
If Lopez can land flush, then he’ll cause serious damage. Claggett has suffered losses against fighters far beneath this level, so it’s difficult to imagine him pulling off the upset against a champion of this calibre. This should be a turkey shoot from start to finish.
The only question is how long the challenger can absorb the Lopez fire before he melts. A gutsy warrior, Claggett will be in Miami to win, and he’ll also be buoyed by Liam Paro’s stunning upset triumph over Subriel Matias last week. However, the smart money says Claggett gets taken out or pulled out late in the fight.
Sporting News prediction: Lopez TKO 9 (Per BetMGM: -140)
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