Talks between Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez are moving fast toward a deal for early 2027, according to Mike Coppinger. Both camps appear ready to lock in the matchup regardless of the drama surrounding Teofimo’s WBA welterweight belt.

That attitude clears the path forward even if the sanctioning body digs in on its mandatory defense. Multiple belts look great on a poster, but two names this massive do not need extra hardware to pull huge numbers.

“Those negotiations have advanced significantly in just a week, and they’re eyeing a fight for Q1 in 2027. I believe that fight will get done shortly for the first quarter,” Coppinger explained during an Inside The Ring clip posted on X. “It’s a unification now. There’s the WBA situation with Teofimo, but I believe this fight will happen no matter what happens with the WBA.”

The hitch comes from Jack Catterall, Teofimo’s mandatory challenger. The Ring reports that Lopez is appealing the order to face Catterall, leaving the belt’s status up in the air while talks with Garcia continue full steam ahead.

The real debate comes down to money. If Garcia’s team guarantees Lopez the same purse without the strap, vacating starts looking like a very tempting exit. Teofimo would sacrifice the undisputed branding, but he would also erase a roadblock that threatens to delay the bigger event.

Fighting Catterall brings real danger. Getting upset before cashing in on the Garcia payday represents a massive risk, especially when talks for the mega-event sit on the one-yard line.

At the same time, Catterall earned his spot. Contenders should not see their mandatory status vanish just because the champion spotted an easier path to generational money elsewhere.

Coppinger sounds certain that promoters will force this fight into existence without letting sanctioning bodies call the shots. Whether Lopez secures an official exemption or decides to drop the title completely remains to be seen.

Ink is not on paper yet. Even so, the latest momentum shows the WBA issue will only decide which belts end up on the poster, not whether the opening bell rings.