IBF featherweight titleholder Luis Alberto Lopez is set to make his fourth title defense on Saturday against Angelo Leo in the main event at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, N.M.
The 30-year-old Lopez (30-2, 17 KO), Mexico, has been labeled “a road warrior” in promotional material leading up to the bout. Known for defeating heavily-favored fighters while often positioned as the B-side, Lopez has thrived in hostile environments. He won his title from Josh Warrington in Warrington’s hometown of Leeds and defended it in Belfast against Michael Conlan.
“We are used to going to different parts of the world – London, Leeds, England. ‘Venado,’ the road warrior, always comes out on top,” Lopez said. “Angelo is a former world champion who wants to once again become a world champion, so we are prepared for the very best version of him, and it is going to be a war.”
Lopez is not just focused on Saturday’s fight but has his sights set on future unification bouts.
“God willing, I am going to try to end the fight quick,” Lopez said. “We have to do our work here with Angelo, and then after that, we can think about unification fights, which I have said is very important to me.”
Leo (24-1, 11 KOs), also 30, is a former junior featherweight champion aiming to become a two-division champion. Originally from New Mexico but now training in Las Vegas, like Lopez, Leo is excited to fight in front of his own fans.
“This is something I always wanted – to fight back in my hometown,” Leo said. “What better way to do it than with a world title shot.”
Despite the pressure of fighting at home, Leo is managing distractions, admitting he does “all the dirty work” of answering calls from hometown supporters. “I am taking phone calls and all that, but sooner or later, I got to put it on silent,” Leo admitted.
Lopez remains focused on securing big fights, potentially against undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue, who might move up to featherweight. “At the end of the day, sooner or later, those big unification fights are going to come,” Lopez said.
In the co-main event, undefeated junior welterweight Lindolfo Delgado (20-0, 15 KOs) will face fellow unbeaten Mexican prospect Bryan Flores (26-0-1, 21 KOs). Delgado, 29, a 2016 Mexican Olympian, emphasized the consistency of his training.
“They always put really good fighters against me,” Delgado said. “Every preparation is the same, but we just try to get a bit better and do things a bit better, and that is what we did for this camp.”
Flores, 28, confident in his preparation, said, “I have practically been training all year. Aside from the result of this Saturday, I feel like a winner already because of all the work I did in the gym. I am confident.”
Delgado, who trains at Robert Garcia’s Boxing Academy in Riverside, Calif., added: “It has been a nice experience. You see some fighters who are champions and some fighters who are almost champions and even the small ones like [Jesse] ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. You see these fighters and learn a lot from them.”
The card will also feature 22-year-old Vito Mielnicki Jr.’s Top Rank debut. Mielnicki (18-1, 12 KOs), who signed with the promoter in June, expressed his excitement for this new chapter. He fights Laszlo Toth (32-8-2, 20 KOs).
“It is fun, it is just fun to be living your dreams,” Mielnicki said. “Since I was a kid, I have always wanted to be a professional athlete, whether it was going to be football or boxing – boxing it was, and this is where I am at now.”
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