By Jim Calfa: Luis Alberto Lopez (27-2, 15 KOs) weighed in at 125.5 pounds and challenger Michael Conlan (18-1, 9 KOs) weighed in at 125.9 pounds on Friday at the weigh-in ahead of their bout on Saturday May 27 at the SSE Arena in Belfast in Northern Ireland. The event will air on ESPN+ at 13:30 ET/10:30 PT.
Conlan, 31, will get another title shot after losing last year’s WBA title fight against Leigh Wood. If Conlan loses on Saturday, it’s unlikely he’ll get another chance anytime soon.
It’s tough for the two-time Olympian Conaln, as he’ll be up against the much faster and more powerful 29-year-old Lopez, who will be beheading him.
Weights:
- Luis Alberto Lopez 125.5 vs. Michael Conlan 125.9
- Nick Ball 125.9 vs. Ludumo Lamatii 125.5
- Anthony Cacace 129.9 vs. Damian Wrzesinski 129.4
- Pierce O’Leary 139.3 vs. Alin Florin Ciorceri 140
“Luis is just a face in front of me that I have to beat. Yes, you’re going to have that kind of push from the crowd and I’m going to feed that energy, yes, but I’m not going to let it be the overriding emotion,” Michael Conlan said to Top notch boxing after weighing in on Friday
“It can tell you how special home entertainment is. I have one job and that is winning.”
“I don’t want to put any pressure on you Mick but I think a lot of the bottom card guys are relying on you to win and bring the big box back to Belfast,” said Carl Frampton.
“Without getting carried away, you can carry this city a long way anyway in terms of bringing back big fights, and you have to win. It’s so important. This is a must-have for you.”
“I understand it 100% and I’ve talked about it before,” said Conlan. “I agree. This needs to be won and I hope it continues. I believe I will be teaching a master class tomorrow.”
“We all want you to win. I’m buzzing about your return to Belfast.
“You’ve got a guy who’s really decorated with the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics,” said Gareth A. Davies. “You have a historic story of him throwing a bird around Rio when he felt he had been cheated out of a medal.
“They saw it. Top Rank is very clever, like Queensberry, at cultivating young warriors and owning a conveyor belt. When they looked at Conlan, they knew he would have a large following in the United States.
“They knew Belfast would cover him and they also knew he had boxing skills. I was at his debut when Conor McGregor stole the show. They do things well. They know how to get that promotional value out of it.
“Conlan, let’s not forget. He’s not one of those guys who will be on social media beating up his opponents and doing all these stunts. He speaks in the ring and embodies the driving force of Belfast.
“He’ll always have it behind him. When he fights in America, they travel with him. From America and also from here. They have a diamond. He just has to get the job done against the very dangerous Luis Alberto Lopez.
