As evidenced during year-end award season, Teofimo Lopez Jr. made better use of a pandemic-stricken 2020 than just about any other fighter in the sport.

That said, he’ll gladly take a return to normalcy over a repeat campaign in the new year.

Brooklyn’s Lopez (16-0, 12KOs) is currently mapping out his 2021 campaign, expecting to be far more active than was the case one year prior. His one fight in 2020 was a career-defining moment—to date—as he outpointed Ukraine’s Vasiliy Lomachenko to unify most of the relevant hardware at lightweight along with establishing championship lineage. 

First up in the year ahead will likely come a mandatory title defense versus unbeaten challenger George Kambosos Jr. (19-0, 10KOs). Should things go according to plan—both in scheduling and in the ring—expectations are for a 2021 run similar to the year he enjoyed in 2019 which saw him win four times and earn his first major championship in a 2nd round wipeout of Richard Commey.

“As we all know, anything we can happen. 2020, we were supposed to fight Lomachenko much earlier in the year,” Lopez noted to BoxingScene.com. “So, I don’t know want to say what will happen.

“But what I plan to do, assuming everything goes smooth—three fights in 2021. I want to repeat as Fighter of the Year. Now it’s about who’s next. Who do we get to beat on this year?”

The planned title defense with Kambosos remains under discussion as this goes to publish, with a number of matters still being worked out. Should such talks make their way to a signed bout agreement, the fight will likely take place in Australia. It will mark Lopez’s first fight outside the U.S. since a controversial loss in the opening round of the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he represented Honduras.

The timing of the fight will set the table for the rest of a 2021 he plans to enjoy, including the restoration of an old tradition.

“We expect our first fight to be around April or May,” notes Lopez, who is entering just his fifth year in the pro ranks. “After that, then another fight around August or September.

“Then, ideally, we fight again at the end of the year at Madison Square Garden, following the Heisman Trophy awards.”

Lopez’ two previous post-Heisman show appearances on MSG grounds served as scrapbook moments. A 1st round knockout of Mason Menard capped a four-fight 2018 Prospect of the Year campaign, followed 53 weeks later by his aforementioned knockout win over Commey in a star-making performance.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox