Teofimo Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) has signed an exclusive multi-fight agreement with DAZN, the platform announced Monday. The deal was struck with Takeover Promotions LLC, the promotional company Lopez has launched to run his own career, and begins Saturday, August 22, when the former two-division champion moves up to 147 pounds to challenge WBA welterweight champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The bout headlines a PBC pay-per-view available on DAZN PPV, included for DAZN Ultimate subscribers, and also carried through Prime Video. The card is promoted by TGB Promotions in association with Takeover Promotions, and the two fighters went face to face in Los Angeles earlier this month to make the fight official.

According to the announcement, the agreement gives Lopez access to opponents across the platform’s full slate of promotional partners, a list that now includes Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, Queensberry Promotions, Top Rank, BOXXER, Salita Promotions, MF Pro and Premier Boxing Champions.

“Teofimo Lopez is one of boxing’s most compelling talents, and we are excited to welcome him to DAZN through this exclusive multi-fight partnership,” said Britton Hardin, Head of Boxing, North America at DAZN. “Teofimo has built his career by embracing major challenges, and his move to welterweight opens the door to an entirely new series of meaningful fights. With the depth of talent and promotional partners now on DAZN, we can provide Teofimo with the platform, flexibility and opponents to continue building his legacy while delivering the matchups boxing fans want to see.”

Lopez, who fights under the nickname “The Takeover,” formed Takeover Promotions with the stated aim of taking greater control of his own career, an arrangement the announcement described as centered on fighter empowerment.

“This is the beginning of a new era for The Takeover,” Lopez said. “DAZN understands the vision I have for my career and gives me the opportunity to pursue the biggest fights against the best available opponents. It starts August 22 at 147 pounds. Rolly has the belt, and I’m coming to take it.”

The structure of the deal is worth noting. DAZN did not sign Lopez through one of the eight promotional companies already aligned with the platform. It contracted directly with a company the fighter owns himself. That arrangement recalls the premium cable era, when HBO and Showtime negotiated directly with marquee fighters and their advisers and functioned, in practice, as the promotional engine behind their careers. Whether the Lopez agreement becomes a template for other stars or remains a one-off will be one of the questions hanging over the platform’s next phase.

The signing lands days after PBC joined DAZN, the agreement that brought the last major promoter outside the platform into the fold and made Romero vs. Lopez one of the first marquee events under the new partnership.

Lopez won world titles at lightweight, where he defeated Vasyl Lomachenko in 2020, and at junior welterweight, where he beat Josh Taylor in 2023. He lost his WBO junior welterweight title to Shakur Stevenson at Madison Square Garden in January. Stevenson has since signed with Zuffa Boxing. August 22 will be Lopez’s first fight at welterweight and his attempt at a world title in a third division.

Romero will be making the first defense of the WBA title he won against Ryan Garcia in May 2025. Speaking at the Los Angeles press conference, he addressed both the layoff and the matchup.

“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 added. “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.”