Will Luis Alberto Lopez fight Naoya Inoue? Why top featherweight boxer vs. The Monster has Fight of the Year potential

Mexican star Luis Alberto Lopez is gearing up to defend his IBF featherweight championship against Angelo Leo at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Aug. 10. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast by ESPN+.

Should Lopez swat Leo aside in the fourth defense of his title, then he could be just months away from the superfight of a lifetime. Only four pounds separate The Ring’s No. 1 rated featherweight and pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue .

It took Inoue just two fights at super bantamweight to become the undisputed champion. “The Monster” blasted out WBC and WBO titleholder Stephen Fulton in eight before stopping IBF and WBA counterpart Marlon Tapales in 10. Scheduled to take on TJ Doheny on Sept. 3, the Japanese star is running out of opposition in this weight class.

The Sporting News looks at a potential bout between Lopez and Inoue.

WATCH: Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Angelo Leo, exclusively on ESPN+

Will Luis Alberto Lopez fight Naoya Inoue?

Following a string of world title wins over Josh Warrington, Michael Conlan, Joet Gonzalez and Reiya Abe, Mexico’s Lopez is considered the top featherweight in the world right now.

The IBF champ is a durable pressure fighter and he’s still in his prime. He’s lost twice in a 32-fight professional career, but Lopez has never been stopped and he’s a tough out for anyone. It would be interesting to see if Inoue could put a serious dent in him.

Both fighters are promoted by Top Rank and showcased on ESPN. That being the case, this should be an easy matchup to make and it’s a potential Fight of the Year candidate.

Inoue is already among the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but he still has goals and featherweight is within his tolerance. A chance to become triple undisputed champion will be too big a temptation to ignore.

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Can Luis Alberto Lopez beat Naoya Inoue?

Lopez is an excellent boxer-puncher with good timing and punch variety. He also hits a lot harder than his 57-percent knockout ratio suggests. The IBF champ’s stoppage win over Conlan was brutal, and he became the first fighter to stop Abe in March. His power and strength could certainly trouble Inoue.

However, this sport is all about levels, and Inoue is levels above Lopez. The Japanese destroyer has the requisite skills to thwart Lopez’s attacks, as well as the power to hurt him on the counter. Even if Lopez managed to hurt Inoue, we know the Japanese star has the bounce-back ability to recover and make him pay ( see Inoue vs. Luis Nery ).

It’s difficult to imagine Lopez being the one to end Inoue’s remarkable winning run. What’s more likely is that the Mexican hero puts up a brave performance before going the way of all flesh. The Monster is just too good.

Luis Alberto Lopez record, stats, bio

• Nationality : Mexican
• Born : August 21, 1993
• Height : 5-4
• Reach : 66.5
• Total fights : 32
• Record : 30-2 with 17 wins via knockout