Unified champ Lomachenko to face Lopez in Oct.

A deal has been reached for a bout between unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and IBF titleholder Teofimo Lopez. The fight is targeted for Oct. 17 and, according to sources, the bout will be broadcast on ESPN.

Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs), the WBA and WBO titleholder and WBC franchise champion, reportedly was willing to give up a portion of his purse to satisfy the demands of Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs), who balked at Top Rank’s original offer.

What made negotiations difficult for this highly anticipated fight was the inability to have a live audience and thus, generate strong gate receipts, which drives a significant amount of a fighter’s revenue.

This is one of the better matchups that can be made in the sport. Lomachenko, is rated number one in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings, while being rated first at lightweight. Lopez, who won his title by knocking out Richard Commey in December, is ranked second at 135 pounds by ESPN.