Weights: Teofimo Lopez 139.2 vs. Sandor Martin 139.8
Jared Anderson 239 vs. Jerry Forrest 228.2
Xander Zayas 153 vs. Alexis Salazar 153.8
Keyshawn Davis 134.8 vs. Juan Carlos Burgos 134
Junior welterweight contender Teofimo Lopez will have a new “Heisman Night” foe. Jose “Sniper” Pedraza contracted a non-COVID-related illness, and Lopez will now face former European champion Sandor Martin on Saturday, Dec. 10, at Madison Square Garden.
Lopez-Martin, scheduled for 10 rounds, is a final eliminator for the WBC world title.
TEOFIMO LOPEZ – SANDOR MARTIN DATE, START TIME
- Date: Saturday, December 10
- Card start time: 9.00 p.m. ET / 2.00 a.m. GMT
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 11 p.m. ET / 4 a.m. GMT
- The fight will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK, and for viewers in the US they can watch it LIVE on ESPN+
- The fight will be staged at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
- The preliminary card is set to get underway at 9.00 p.m. ET / 2.00 a.m. GMT with the Lopez vs. Martin ringwalks scheduled for 11 p.m. ET / 4 a.m. GMT.
Brooklyn native Lopez (17-1, 13 KOs), the former lightweight king, made his junior welterweight debut in August with a seventh-round stoppage over Pedro Campa. He hopes to become a two-weight world champion in 2023, but the WBO No. 1 junior welterweight contender must first defeat the slippery Spanish southpaw. Martin (40-2, 13 KOs), who hails from Barcelona, authored the 2021 Upset of the Year when he stunned Mikey Garcia by majority decision and sent the four-weight world champion into retirement. Martin, ranked in the top 15 by all four major sanctioning organizations, followed up the Garcia triumph with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Felix in April.
“We wish Jose Pedraza a speedy recovery, but we look forward to facing Sandor Martin. He was the opponent we originally wanted for Heisman Night at Madison Square Garden,” Lopez said. “I will continue to silence the doubters as I take over the 140-pound division. I look forward to giving my hometown fans a special night of boxing.”
Martin said, “I’ve dreamed of fighting in a main event at Madison Square Garden. This is my time. I’ve taken the risk, and I will take control against Teofimo Lopez on December 10th. I will give the fans what they want to see.”
At Thursday’s press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.
Teofimo Lopez
“We all have an opportunity here. We all have an objective to do on Saturday night. My whole thing is, ‘How do we continue the Takeover?’ We just got to keep winning. Whoever they put in front of us, we beat them.”
“I think that we all have a canvas to perform on. I’m an artist myself. So, I’m over here trying to be as abstract as possible when I’m in the ring. It’s all about giving the fans what they really want, which is entertainment. We are in the entertainment business, not the boxing business. And you guys got to remember that. So, by all means, go after everything that you can do. I’ve followed the likes of Prince Naseem. And those are the things that you guys will see. That doesn’t mean I have to showboat like crazy. However, it’s all about giving the fans what they really want.”
“The only surprise that I think everyone will see is how much better I got since my first career loss. What I would like to tell everyone here is that you never really lose. The only time you ever really lose is when you quit. When you say ‘No Mas.’ That’s when you lose.”
Sandor Martin
“I am absolutely ready for this fight. That’s why I have come. It was a preparation that was done on three weeks’ notice, but I had been training because I’m an athlete 24/7, every day of the year. For me, this is the biggest thing that has ever happened to me in my career as an athlete. Basically, in my country, it’s very difficult to be a boxer and come out of Spain. It’s taken a professional career of 42 professional fights across 11 years to have an opportunity like this. As soon as I got the opportunity, I couldn’t reject it. Teofimo Lopez. Madison Square Garden. Top Rank. It’s about making history.”
“I’ve come to win. I respect Teofimo Lopez very much and the career that he’s had as a professional athlete. I respect him a lot as a boxer. I only hope that we deliver a great fight and we come out the ring healthy on Saturday. This is a special moment for me. But I don’t look beyond this fight. At the end of the day, he and I live in two different worlds. He lives in the world of entertainment and I live in the boxing world. When he was recording interviews, watching the Knicks and shopping, I was training. That’s the difference you will see on Saturday.”
Jared Anderson
“It was a great camp. We always come prepared to go the distance in every fight. We did what we needed to do. We did a great job, and we came in shape. Without a doubt, this is my toughest opponent to date. His record speaks for itself. He’s been in there with some of the best and has gone the distance with some of the best. We come ready to go the distance. We’re 12-round fight ready. We train for it, both in and out of the ring and every day.”
Lopez-Martin tops a televised quadruple-header airing immediately after the Heisman Trophy Ceremony at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. Heavyweight sensation Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson aims for his 13th straight knockout against the battle-tested Jerry “Slugger” Forrest, Puerto Rican junior middleweight star Xander Zayas steps up in class against 28-fight veteran Alexis Salazar, and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis looks to jumpstart his world title ambitions in a lightweight duel versus Juan Carlos Burgos.
TEO LOPEZ VS. MARTIN FIGHT CARD
- Teofimo Lopez vs. Sandor Martin; For the vacant WBO International title
- Jared Anderson vs. Jerry Forrest; Heavyweight
- Xander Zayas vs. Alexis Salazar; Super welterweight
- Keyshawn Davis vs. Juan Carlos Burgos; Lightweight
- Jahi Tucker vs. Ivan Pandzic; Welterweight
- Bruce Carrington vs. Juan Tapia; Featherweight
- Mike O’Han Jr. vs. Delante Johnson; Junior welterweight
- Frederic Julan vs. Joe Ward; Light heavyweight
- Damian Knyba vs. Emilio Salas; Heavyweight
