In a fight that was far more about defense than offense, Teofimo Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) retained his WBO light welterweight title against Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-1, 11 KOs) with a 12-round unanimous decision on May 2, 2025, at The Ring Magazine's Fatal Fury Times Square card in New York.
Lopez employed a "safety-first" strategy, using his footwork and movement to avoid any major exchanges with Barboza, who was relentless in his pursuit but couldn't land with any significant force. The judges scored the fight 116-112, 116-112, and a somewhat generous 118-110 in favor of Lopez, despite many rounds being extremely hard to judge. While Teofimo avoided Barboza’s punches with precision, he didn’t offer much in return, hardly throwing anything significant throughout the fight.
In a contest that left fans craving action, Lopez’s strategy was clear: evade, survive, and collect the W. Barboza, for his part, spent the majority of the fight chasing, but without the ability to land clean shots, his efforts fell flat.
Full Results from the Fatal Fury Event:
Teofimo Lopez defeats Arnold Barboza Jr. (12-round UD)
Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic (press conference highlights)
Adeleye vs Tshikeva (faceoff showdown)
Lopez’s lack of offensive output in this fight was a bit of a letdown, but he stayed undefeated and kept his title. However, the fight was far from a classic, and fans will be hoping for much more action in his future bouts.
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