Romero faces Lopez in WBA welterweight title defence at T-Mobile Arena

Rolly Romero is set to defend his WBA welterweight championship in a 12-round bout against former lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez. The main event is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, 22 August 2026, at T-Mobile Arena, with the pay-per-view broadcast available on DAZN and Prime Video.

Romero, 30, enters the fight following a layoff of more than a year. His most recent appearance was in May 2025, where he secured a unanimous decision victory over Ryan Garcia in New York. The champion previously held the WBA super lightweight crown from 2023 to 2024 and the WBA interim lightweight title in 2020.

Lopez, 29, seeks redemption after a unanimous decision loss to Shakur Stevenson in January 2026. The former unified lightweight and WBO junior welterweight champion has held multiple world titles across two weight classes. His record stands at 22 wins and two losses, with both defeats coming by decision.

Current betting odds list Lopez as the favourite at -280, while Romero is priced at +205. The over/under for total rounds completed is set at 11.5. SportsLine combat sports editor Josh Nagel has identified the Over 11.5 total rounds as a key betting pick for the card.

Nagel, who has covered the sport for more than 20 years, noted that Lopez’s performance trajectory has become unpredictable following his upset victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020 and subsequent loss to George Kambosos Jr. The analyst is reported to be up more than $2,500 on his combat sports picks for the 2025 campaign.

The bout marks a significant test for Romero, who is currently on a two-bout winning streak, and for Lopez, who is looking to regain momentum after his defeat at Madison Square Garden.