Vasiliy Lomachenko next fight: Masayoshi Nakatani targeted for summer date

While not exactly the fight most fans have been hoping for, a source close to ESPN reports that former unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs) is currently being lined up to make his ring return this summer against Masayoshi Nakatani (19-1, 13 KOs). A date hasn’t been set for the fight but it’s expected to serve as a main event for a summer ESPN card.

Many will remember that Nakatani gave Teofimo Lopez a tough outing in the summer of 2019, after which Lopez claimed he would never again face a tall fighter. Since that fight Nakatani would win a ninth round stoppage over Felix Verdejo this past December.

As for Lomachenko, he’s been out of action since losing his titles to Lopez in a unification bout last October. That had to have been a bit of a humbling experience for Lomachenko, and here he’ll be taking on a fighter with a significant height and reach advantage — one that could likely pose some real problems with his dimensions. Lomachenko also had shoulder surgery following the fight.

How do you break down this matchup, fans? Sound off in the comments below.