WBA welterweight champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) and former two-division champion Teofimo Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) went face to face Thursday at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles to officially announce their 12-round world title fight Saturday, August 22 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The bout headlines a PBC pay-per-view promoted by TGB Promotions in association with Takeover Promotions.

The press conference opened with the announcement of a distribution agreement between PBC and DAZN that will bring PBC fight nights to the platform worldwide, with the August 22 pay-per-view also available on Prime Video. WBC super welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora, WBA featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa, interim WBC middleweight champion Jesus Ramos Jr. and IBF bantamweight champion Jose Salas Reyes appeared as part of that portion of the program.

Pre-sale tickets are available through AXS.com with the code PBC until 10 p.m. PT Thursday, and the public on-sale begins Friday, July 10 at 10 a.m. PT. The press conference followed T-Mobile Arena’s initial confirmation of the matchup earlier this week.

Romero: “He’s My Little Brother”

Romero, who has not fought since his unanimous decision over Ryan Garcia in May 2025, addressed the layoff and the search for an opponent.

“It’s been a hard time trying to make a fight, but we know that Teofimo is gonna fight anyone. So I’m thankful that he stepped up to the plate,” Romero said. “I needed the time off to focus on me. I’m just happy to be back with another big event.”

“I feel pretty good right now. We’re gonna have to see if I’m even better than I was against Ryan Garcia. I’ve missed boxing. I really don’t do this for anything other than the love of the sport,” he said. “A fight’s a fight, a sparring session is sparring. Everyone’s sparring each other. People get cracked. Now we’re doing it under the big lights for a belt. I feel like this fight gives me the opportunity to become a Hall of Famer.”

Romero also spoke to his history with Lopez. “Me and Teo aren’t friends, he’s my little brother. I’d rather go in there against him than anyone else.”

Lopez: “Put Up or Shut Up”

Lopez, who moves up to welterweight seeking a title in a third division, framed the fight as a turning point.

“I feel great. It’s put up or shut up. We’re at a point in time in my career where everything is at stake. People want to know if this is the start of something new for me. I look forward to it,” Lopez said. “I want to thank the champ for stepping up to the plate. I’m looking forward to becoming a three-division world champion at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on August 22.”