Roach and Zepeda Meet For Vacant WBC Lightweight Title

Lamont Roach and William Zepeda will fight for the vacant WBC lightweight title on August 1 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

Roach arrives off back-to-back draws — the controversial majority draw against Gervonta Davis in March 2025 and a further draw against Isaac Cruz in December 2025. Both results drew widespread criticism from those who felt Roach had done enough to win, and the accumulated weight of those disputed scorecards has kept him in the world title conversation despite the lack of a victory to show for his last two outings.

"This is my fourth consecutive world title fight coming up in a different weight class. No doubt, I am bringing boxing back, and I'm coming for the top spot," Roach said

Zepeda's motivation is equally straightforward. He challenged Shakur Stevenson for the WBC lightweight title in July 2025 and came up short, a defeat that reset his immediate title ambitions but did nothing to diminish the reputation he has built as one of the division's most relentless pressure fighters. El Camarón comes to Las Vegas looking for the statement performance that puts him back at the front of the lightweight queue.

"We've been working hard since my last fight. We're at the forefront of the lightweight division, and we know every opponent at this level presents a serious challenge. Once again, we've been given the opportunity to fight for a world championship, and we're ready to show the world exactly who 'El Camarón' Zepeda is. I hope Lamont comes fully prepared, because we're going to put on a great show for the fans," Zepeda said.

The vacant WBC title became available following Stevenson's departure from lightweight to claim the WBO super lightweight belt. Roach had previously been linked with a mandatory challenge for the belt before the Shakur fight complicated the timeline. August 1 in Las Vegas is where both men get their answer.