“I am not giving up my IBF title to Lopez”- Richard Commey

IBF Lightweight champion, Richard Commey, says he has no plans of relinquishing his belt when faces Teofimo Lopez on Saturday in New York.

The bout is Commey’s second defence of the title he won in February after defeating Isa Chaniev. In June  this year, he defeated Ray Beltran via an 8th round knockout.

Commey and Lopez meet at the Madison Square Garden with the winner almost guaranteed a fight with Vasyl Lomachenko in a bid to unify the division.

Commey says he wants to leave the arena as champion and his journey to the top of the division is his motivation to succeed against Lopez.

“I thank God for a good year. I have worked so hard to get here looking at where I am coming from. How many boxers have come from Ghana to get the chance to fight at the Madison Square Garden?

I am grateful to Top Rank for the opportunity. I am ready to for the bout and I am ready to defend my title and there is no way I am letting it go.

I take every opponent seriously and I always train hard and live a simple life. On Saturday, I will give it everything I have and I will just do what I always do and be me in the ring.”

The bout is part of the main event that will see WBO Welterweight Champion, Terence Crawford taking on Egidijus Kavaliauskas.