Luis_Alberto_Lopez

Luis Alberto Lopez

Luis Alberto Lopez

Mexican boxer

Luis Alberto Lopez Vargas (born 21 August 1993) is a Mexican professional boxer. He has held the IBF featherweight title since 2022. As of April 2024, Lopez is ranked as the world's best active featherweight by The Ring,[2] TBRB,[3] and ESPN.[4]

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Professional career

Early career

Lopez made his professional debut against Francisco Javier Pacheco on 6 November 2015. He won the fight by split decision. Vargas amassed a 16–1 record during the next three years, winning half of those fights by way of stoppage. At the end of this run, Lopez-Vargas was booked to face Ray Ximenez for the vacant WBO International featherweight title on 28 February 2019. He his United States debut by technical decision, with scores of 80–72, 78–74 and 77–75. The fight was stopped after eight rounds, due to a cut above Ximenez's left eye, which was caused by an accidental clash of heads.[5] Lopez-Vargas faced Ruben Villa on 10 May 2019, in the main event of the ShoBox: The New Generation, once again fighting for the vacant WBO International featherweight title.[6] Villa handed Lopez-Vargas his second professional loss, winning the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 97–93, 98–92 and 96–94.[7]

After successfully bouncing back against two journeymen opponents, Israel Rojas on 30 August 2019 and Marco Antonio Monteros on 21 September 2019, Lopez was booked to face the undefeated Cristian Baez. Lopez-Vargas won the fight by a fifth-round technical knockout. Lopez next faced Andy Vences on 7 July 2020, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Despite coming into the fight as an underdog,[8] he won the fight by an upset split decision. The judges scored the fight 96–94 in his favor, while the third judge awarded the same scorecard to Vences.[9] In his second fight of 2021, Lopez-Vargas faced the undefeated Gabriel Flores Jr. on 10 September 2021, and once again entered the fight in the role of an underdog.[10] He won the fight by unanimous decision, with two judges scoring the fight 100–90 for Lopez-Vargas, while the third judge scored it 98–92 for him.[11]

Following these two upset victories, Lopez was booked to face the undefeated Isaac Lowe in an IBF featherweight title eliminator bout. The fight took place at the York Hall in Bethnal Green on 3 December 2021, and was broadcast by ESPN+ and IFL TV.[12] Lopez-Vargas won the fight by a seventh-round technical knockout. Lowe was floored with a body strike in the final minute of the seventh round, leaving him unable to beat the ten count. Lopez-Vargas knocked his opponent down twice prior to the stoppage, once in the first and once in the second round.[13] Twenty days later, on 23 December 2021, Lopez-Vargas re-signed with Top Rank.[14]

IBF featherweight champion

Lopez vs. Warrington

Lopez challenged the reigning IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington on 10 December 2022, at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England.[15] He won the fight by majority decision. Judges Mike Fitzgerald and Adam Height scored the fight 115–113 in favor of Lopez, while judge Howard Foster scored it an even 114–114 draw. Lopez complained of what he perceived to be dirty tactics from Warrington in the post-fight interview, stating: "He even hit me on my legs. I don’t think the referee did his job in protecting the fighters tonight".[16] Aside from suffering a cut above his left eye due to a headbutt, it was furthermore revealed after the fight that Lopez had fractured his left thumb during the bout.[17]

Lopez vs. Conlan, Gonzalez

Lopez was booked to make his maiden title defense against the one-time WBA (Regular) featherweight title challenger Michael Conlan on 27 May 2023, at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[18] He won the fight by a fifth-round knockout. Lopez floored his opponent with a right uppercut, which prompted Conlan's corner to immediately throw in the towel, as they judged their fighter to have take too much damage.[19]

Lopez was booked to make a voluntary title defense of his IBF championship against the two-time WBO featherweight title challenger Joet Gonzalez on September 15, 2023, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.[20] He retained the title by unanimous decision, with scores of 118–110, 117–111 and 116–112.[21]

Lopez vs. Abe

Lopez was scheduled to make the third defense of his IBF featherweight title against Reiya Abe on March 2, 2024 in Verona, New York.[22] He won the fight by TKO in the eighth round.[23]

Professional boxing record

More information 32 fights, 30 wins ...
More information No., Result ...

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Boxing record for Luis Alberto Lopez". BoxRec.
  2. [2]
    "The Ring Junior Flyweight Ratings". The Ring. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  3. [3]
    "Rankings – Transnational Boxing Rankings Board<". Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  4. [4]
    "Divisional rankings -- The best top 10 fighters per division". ESPN. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  5. [5]
    Press Release (7 March 2019). "Luis Lopez Outboxes Ray Ximenez Over 8 Rounds". 3kingsboxing.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  6. [6]
    boxingsocialist. "RUBEN VILLA TO FACE ONCE-BEATEN LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ IN MAIN EVENT OF SHOBOX MAY 10". boxingandbasketball.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  7. [7]
    Showtime Boxing (10 May 2019). "RESULTS: Ruben Villa Decisions Luis Alberto Lopez on ShoBox". boxing247.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  8. [8]
    Fulcrum (4 July 2020). "Andy Vences versus Luis Alberto Lopez Vargas breakdown". boxingfulcrum.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  9. [9]
    Simpson, Bakari (7 July 2020). "Luis Lopez Decisions, Upsets Andy Vences". 3kingsboxing.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  10. [10]
    Dell'Amore, Flavio (9 September 2021). "A Tucson domani molta attenzione per Flores Jr vs Luis Lopez". boxeringweb.net. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  11. [11]
    Simpson, Bakari (10 September 2021). "UPSET ALERT: Luis Lopez Vargas Shocks Gabriel Flores Jr". 3kingsboxing.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  12. [12]
    Salazar, Francisco (2 December 2021). "Luis Alberto Lopez to face Isaac Lowe in IBF eliminator tonight". ringtv.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  13. [13]
    Mason, Paul (4 December 2021). "Isaac Lowe vs Luis Alberto Lopez - Results & Post-Fight Report". proboxing-fans.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  14. [14]
    Salazar, Francisco (23 December 2021). "Luis Alberto Lopez re-signs with Top Rank, eyes world title shot in 2022". ringtv.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  15. [15]
    Christ, Scott (24 September 2022). "Josh Warrington vs Luis Alberto Lopez official for Dec. 10 in Leeds". badlefthook.com. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  16. [16]
    Fischer, Doug (10 December 2022). "Luis Alberto Lopez Edges Josh Warrington In Hard-Fought Maj. Decision, Wins IBF Featherweight Title". ringtv.com. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  17. [17]
    Boxingscene Staff (22 December 2022). "Lopez Thought He Would Get Robbed When First Card Was Revealed in Warrington Fight". boxingscene.com. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  18. [18]
    Boxingscene Staff (20 March 2023). "Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Michael Conlan Set Down For May 27 In Belfast". boxingscene.com. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  19. [19]
    Idec, Keith (27 May 2023). "Luis Alberto Lopez Blasts Out Michael Conlan With Brutal One-Punch KO in Fifth". boxingscene.com. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  20. [20]
    Stumberg, Patrick L. (19 July 2023). "Luis Alberto Lopez vs Joet Gonzalez set for September 15th in Corpus Christi". badlefthook.com. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  21. [21]
    "Luis Alberto Lopez resists Joet Gonzalez onslaught to defend IBF featherweight world title". Sky Sports. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  22. [22]
    Iskenderov, Parviz (23 February 2024). "Luis Alberto Lopez expects KO win against Reiya Abe, looks to unify at 126 & move up". FIGHTMAG.
  23. [23]
    Iskenderov, Parviz (3 March 2024). "Luis Alberto Lopez stops Reiya Abe in eighth round to retain title". FIGHTMAG.
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