Lamont Roach Jr. (25-1-3, 10 KOs) and William Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs) are expected to meet on August 1 in Las Vegas for the vacant WBC lightweight title.
The WBC had ordered negotiations earlier this year, with reports the fight will “likely” land in Las Vegas. Roach moves up from junior lightweight for the fight, having previously held the WBA title at 130lbs. Roach has not boxed since losing his majority draw against Isaac Cruz last December. A win would make him a two-weight world champion. Zepeda, ranked number one by the WBC at lightweight, is chasing the first full world title of his career having fallen short in a previous championship bid when he lost a unanimous decision to Shakur Stevenson in July 2025.