Keith Thurman to face Josesito Lopez on Jan. 26

After nearly two years out of the ring, Keith Thurman will finally return on Jan. 26, headlining a PBC on FOX show against Josesito Lopez, with Thurman’s WBA “super world” welterweight title on the line.

The fight will take place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, marking Thurman’s third straight bout at that venue after wins over Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia.

The 29-year-old Thurman (28-0, 22 KO) has been out of action since his March 2017 win over Garcia, undergoing elbow surgery shortly after the fight. A hand injury further delayed his return and kept him out all of 2018.

Lopez (36-7, 19 KO) is at this point a respected journeyman, a 34-year-old veteran who will serve as, relatively speaking, a soft touch for Thurman’s return, at least on paper. But Lopez has upset big plans before, and he always comes to fight. Right now, he’s working on a three-fight win streak, fighting once per year in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Most recently, he routed Miguel Cruz over 10 rounds on April 28.

The Thurman-Lopez card will also include a heavyweight matchup between unbeaten Adam Kownacki (18-0, 14 KO) and Gerald Washington (19-2-1, 12 KO).