Teofimo Lopez returns against Jamaine Ortiz on Thursday

FIGHT WEEK

Junior welterweight titleholder Teofimo Lopez is scheduled to defend his belt against Jamaine Ortiz on Thursday in Las Vegas.

TEOFIMO LOPEZ (19-1, 13 KOs)VS. JAMAINE ORTIZ (17-1-1, 8 KOS)

Date: Thursday, Feb. 8
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas
TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
Division: Junior welterweight (140 pounds)
At stake: Lopez’s WBO title
Pound-for-pound: Lopez, Honorable Mention
Odds: Lopez 5-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Significance (up to five stars): ****
Also on the card: Keyshawn Davis vs. Jose Pedraza, lightweights
Background: Lopez reclaimed his place among the best in the business on June 10, when he defeated previously unbeaten Josh Taylor by a convincing decision to regain a share of the140-pound championship. The 26-year-old native of Brooklyn had lost his 135-pound belts in a stunning upset against George Kambosos Jr. in 2021, although it was later determined that Lopez fought with a dangerous health condition. He rebounded to stop Pedro Campa, narrowly outpoint Sandor Martin and take down Taylor. The last victory lifted him back onto the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list. Ortiz will be fighting for a major title for the first time. The resident of Worcester, Massachusetts made a splash when he outpointed former 130-pound titleholder Jamel Herring in May 2022 but came up short in his next fight five months later, a unanimous decision against Vasiliy Lomachenko. The Ukrainian star deserved the nod but Ortiz gave a solid performance, bolstering his reputation. He easily outpointed Antonio Moran in September, his most recent fight. He’s ranked No. 10 by the WBO.

HAMZAH SHEERAZ (18-0, 14 KOs)VS. LIAM WILLIAMS (25-4-1, 20 KOS)

Date: Saturday, Feb. 10
Time: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Copper Box Arena, London
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Division: Middleweight (160 pounds)
At stake: No major titles
Pound-for-pound: None
Odds: Sheeraz 4-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Significance (up to five stars): ***

Also on the card: Sam Noakes vs. Lewis Sylvester, lightweights; Anthony Yarde vs. Marko Nikolic, light heavyweights; Masood Abdulah vs. Qais Ashfaq, featherweights
Background: Sheeraz has dominated marginal opponents, including knockouts in his last 12 fights. Now comes what could be a genuine test in the form of veteran Liam Williams. Sheeraz is a 6-foot-3 middleweight contender from England with both boxing ability and formidable punching power, as his KO record suggests. The 24-year-old last fought on Aug. 26, when he stopped previously unbeaten Dmytro Mytrofanov in two rounds in Poland. None of his last four opponents has lasted five full rounds with him. Williams, 31, also is a rugged, hard-punching contender. The Scot bounced back from back-to-back losses to Liam Smith to earn a shot at then-middleweight champ Demetrius Andrade’s title in 2021 but came up short in his only title fight, losing a one-sided decision. He then lost a clear decision to Chris Eubank Jr., which threatened his career as an elite fighter. However, he subsequently defeated journeymen Nizar Trimech and Florin Cardos to earn at least one more big fight.

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

SATURDAY

Liam Dillon vs. Reece Bellotti, junior lightweights, Newcastle, England (DAZN)
Austin Brooks vs. Julio Carrera, junior lightweights, Long Beach, California (Fox Deportes, Fubo TV)