By Ryan Burton

Yahoo.com previously reported that fast rising lightweight contender Teofimo Lopez (13-0) will return to the ring on July 19th against Masayoshi Nakatani (18-0) in an ESPN main event. The fight will take place at the MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Lopez is ranked #4 by the IBF while Nakatani is ranked #3.  The rating position for both 1 and 2 are vacant.

Top Rank, who promote  Lopez, would like to get him into a mandatory position to face IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey.

If Lopez were to defeat Commey, it would open the door for a unification bout against WBA/WBO champion Vasiliy Lomachenko if he is able to get past Luke Campbell in their bout that is being planned for the late summer for the vacant WBC lightweight title.

Multiple sources have advised BoxingScene.com that a super featherweight crossroads bout pitting former champion Jason Sosa (22-3-4) of New Jersey against Erick De Leon (19-0-1) is also finalized to appear on the televised portion of the card. Sosa's promoter Russell Peltz also confirmed that a deal had been reached.

Sosa captured the WBA super featherweight title in 2016 when he stopped Javier Fortuna in China.  After being stopped by Lomachenko and losing a controversial majority decision to Yuriorkis Gamboa, Sosa has won two fights in a row.

The 27-year-old Detroit based De Leon has won two bouts in a row since his majority draw against Andy Vences last March.

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