Teofimo Lopez ready for a fight and veteran Steve Claggett promises to give him a good one

Say whatever you will about Teofimo Lopez, but there are two undeniable truths about the lineal super lightweight world champion: He'll fight anyone and he comes to fight whenever he steps between the ropes. He'd no doubt say yes if promoter Bob Arum offered him a fight against Tyson Fury, the 6-foot-9, 270-pound former heavyweight champion. 

In his last outing, though, he was in the ring but there wasn't really much of a fight. Now, it doesn't have to be a toe-to-toe slugfest to be considered a fight, but Jamaine Ortiz did a better impression of a quarter-miler than he did a boxer when he faced Lopez in Las Vegas on Feb. 8.

It was a showcase event for Lopez, three days before the Super Bowl, but Ortiz's unwillingness to fight made it one of the most dreadful shows in a long time. Lopez won a unanimous decision, but there were people turning the TV off in droves, it was so bad.

So when he returns to the ring Saturday on ESPN against Steve Claggett at the Knight Center in Miami, he can be certain of one thing: It's a safe bet he's not going to be chasing Claggett in circles. If you want a bout in which the two men stand in the middle and throw punches at each other, this is your fight.

"Teofimo got a lot of criticism [for the way he performed] against Ortiz, but Ortiz didn't come to fight at all," Lopez promoter Carl Moretti of Top Rank said. "Claggett can't do anything different but fight. He's not going to turn into a boxer and be dancing around. That's not who he is. We didn't expect that from Ortiz, either. We thought we would see the guy who fought Loma [Vasiliy Lomachenko]. But he didn't do that. And all Teofimo wants is someone who will fight."

Lopez could have cut the ring off better than he did against Ortiz, and he attributes that to not enough sparring time. He said he was working hard promoting the fight and didn't put the work in in the gym like he normally does. He said he only had two sparring sessions in preparation for Ortiz.

Boxing, at its core, Lopez said, is all about conditioning. He noted that Claggett is a triathlete and should have the capacity to fight hard for as long the bout lasts. Lopez is a big MMA fan and noted the success of Nick and Nate Diaz is based in large part on their superior conditioning. 

So while Claggett doesn't have a big name, Lopez insisted he won't have any trouble getting motivated to fight him.

"The reason why we chose this type of fighter that we are facing now is that, Number 1, he's Top 20 in my weight division and the guy comes forward and he doesn't stop throwing punches," Lopez said. "He's a tough fighter and you really, really have to be ready because this guy is a triathlete on top of that so you know he has wind. He has a lot of lungs and that's what people really don't quite get.

"You've got to have the conditioning and boxing is all about lungs."

In an interview with The Ring, Claggett seconded that notion. He said he's watched Lopez's previous fights and understands he needs to be in elite condition to handle what is coming.

It's easy to say the words, but as Ortiz proved in February, it's another thing entirely to do it under the bright lights. But for better or worse, Claggett has always come to fight. He isn't going to change now that he's on the verge of his biggest fight.

I think he’s very athletic, I think he’s a very skillful fighter,” Claggett told Ring. “Nothing but respect for his game but I also believe in myself. I’m just preparing for his best and I’m preparing for everything I’ve watched and everything I’ve seen. The name of the game is show up prepared. I’ve got nothing but respect for the guy and his fighting skills, but I don’t think they know the fighting skills I have.”

Lopez said boxing has to get back to being entertaining, and giving the fans something to get excited about. 

That's usually when a pair of evenly matched and talented fighters meet, but it's as much about attitude as it is about anything. He said boxers need to think of fighting first.

"Floyd Mayweather did a lot of great things for boxing, but he also set it up as a business standard," Lopez said. " ... Boxing is no longer just a sport now; it's a business more than a sport. I think what they need to do is get these men in suits and ties to take a step back because I don't think fighters are afraid of each other."

Lopez is a whopping -1100 at Draft Kings sports book, while Claggett is +650. Draft Kings has Lopez at -145 to win by KO.

That suggests it's not going to be much of a contest, though no one will say it won't be much of a fight. For as long as it lasts, Claggett is going to hang in and compete.

"Teofimo is better off being active and fighting and this is one of those fights where, yes, he's expected to win," Moretti said. "But he's going to have to work for it and earn it. You can't go to war with someone who won't engage. You know the way Claggett fights and so we think it's going to be an entertaining fight where they don't have to go looking for each other."