Lamont Roach insists he won’t overlook William Zepeda, but that doesn’t stop him from imagining what’s next for the lightweight division.

Roach will face Zepeda for the vacant WBC lightweight title on August 1 in Las Vegas in what many consider to be the toughest assignment of his career. However, when discussing the fight, the former WBA super featherweight champion certainly predicted not only a victory but also his dominant position before turning his attention to a potential showdown with IBF champion Raymond Muratalla.

“But now that I have beaten Zepeda in dominant fashionand we won’t miss it. Trust me, I’m training my butt off. Trust me, I’m training my butt off. But if it did happen, we would love to do that fight,” Roach told InsideRingShow.

“I know this fight is probably going to be for, you know, Ring magazine or something like that. You know, it’s a lot at stake, man. It’s a lot at stake at 135 pounds. And I just want to make sure I live up to that.”

Roach fought Gervonta Davis to a majority draw in March 2025, before moving up to welterweight and fighting Isaac Cruz to another draw. The 29-year-old now returns to lightweight as he seeks the vacant WBC title against Zepeda.

Muratalla is scheduled to defend his IBF lightweight title against Robson Conceicao at the same event on August 1. Victories for both champions would mean another high-profile fight in one of boxing’s deepest divisions.

Roach also revealed that Muratalla had previously emerged as a potential opponent ahead of his eventual fight with Cruz.

“Even preparing for Pit Bull, I think one of the options was Muratalla and I think we made a connection. I just don’t know what happened,” Roach said. “I’m not saying that, you know, people employ the word duck too loosely. I just don’t know what happened.”

Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.

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Last update: 2026/06/11 at 17:32

Canelo Alvarez will return to the ring in September in a bid to regain his WBC super middleweight title against Christian Mbilla, and boxing icon Roy Jones Jr has explained what he believes will prove crucial to the outcome of that fight.

Alvarez was injured when he lost the undisputed throne to Terence Crawford in September, and was sidelined when all four titles were transferred due to Crawford’s retirement and subsequent resignation.

However, after successful elbow surgery, Alvarez will once again fight for the title against Mbilla, who was elevated to the full WBC world title after defending his interim belt against Lester Martinez on the Canelo-Crawford card.

While Canelo is undeniably a legend in the super middleweight scene, the 35-year-old has begun to fade in recent outings, leaving fans wondering if he still has what it takes to re-establish himself as the best 168-pound fighter in the world.

In an interview with Boxing News, Jones Jr said that the fight with Mbilli will depend on how hungry the Mexican remains, declaring that Canelo under optimal conditions will be too substantial for the best version of the modern champion.

“It’s a good fight to watch. I like Mbilli, but Canelo is still better than people give him credit for, so I won’t say Mbilli will beat him.

“I know Mbilli is a good player, but I haven’t seen Mbilli really deliver [at the elite level] Already. I’ve seen what Canelo can do, so a hungry Canelo will beat Mbilli, but if he’s not hungry, Mbilli will beat him.

“If he is hungry enough he will win the fight, it all depends on Canelo’s hunger level.

Alvarez vs. fight Mbill will take place on Saturday, September 12which is the culmination of the “Mexico vs. the World” bill, which takes place in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

Instead, Ryan focused directly on his British rival.

“I’m screaming at Conor Benn like he stole something. Don’t be fooled by the headlines,” Garcia said on the show X.

Benn wasted no time in responding, turning Ryan’s choice of words into his own warning.

“I’m about to steal your title and there’s nothing you can do about it,Benn said.

Both have been linked to a potential clash later this year, and Benn will become a solemn option for Ryan’s next fight. However, negotiations became increasingly complicated after Golden Boy accused Zuffa Boxing of interfering with Ryan’s contractual relationship with the promotional company.

Oscar De La Hoya has publicly maintained that Golden Boy has the final say on Ryan’s next move, while expressing his willingness to work with Dana White and Zuffa if an agreement can be reached.

For the fighters themselves, the appetite for the fight remains unchanged.

Ryan has repeatedly rejected suggestions that Benn poses a solemn threat, while Benn took the opportunity to challenge one of boxing’s biggest names. Their latest exchange provided another insight into the confidence both men bring to a fight that continues to attract robust interest on both sides of the Atlantic.

There may still be legal and promotional hurdles to clear before any official announcement can be made, but Ryan and Benn have made one thing clear: Neither of them is willing to budge an inch in the battle for public opinion before the opening bell even rings.