During the DAZN broadcast of Floyd Schofield-Lucas Bahdi on Saturday, DAZN’s Chris Mannix reported that Lopez is appealing the WBA’s decision to enforce Jack Catterall as his mandatory challenger.

Mannix added Lopez feels so strongly that he'd be willing to go to court over the matter.

Lopez’s preference is a unification bout against Garcia for his WBC welterweight title in February or on Cinco de Mayo weekend. While a bout between them would be significant regardless of the belts available, the stakes would be heightened with two world titles being contested.

The 29-year-old Brooklyn native won the WBA welterweight title with a majority decision over Rolando “Rolly” Romero on August 22. Lopez, The Ring’s No. 3-rated contender at 147 pounds, made his intentions clear that he wanted to face Garcia (26-2, 21 KOs, 1 NC) next, before beating Romero.

Garcia, The Ring’s No. 2-ranked welterweight, retained his WBC welterweight crown with a second-round knockout of Conor Benn on September 12 in Las Vegas. After the win, he called for a Lopez fight next.

The WBA ruled on September 22 that Lopez (23-2, 13 KOs) must face Catterall (33-2, 14 KOs) next, and the two parties have until October 22 to reach a deal before purse bids are called.

The tricky British southpaw beat Shakhram Giyasov by unanimous decision on May 23 at Pyramids of Giza in Egypt to win the 'regular' WBA welterweight title.

Romero, who held the 'super' WBA welterweight title at the time, was given 180 days to face 33-year-old Catterall but instead opted to face Lopez in his first defense.

Catterall, The Ring’s No. 4-ranked welterweight, has been relentless in his pursuit of a Lopez fight.

Along with countless social media posts reminding Lopez that he is his mandatory challenger, they traded words over whether they would fight next during an Inside The Ring episode on August 24.

Catterall has also assured he has no intention of taking any step-aside money to facilitate a unification bout for Lopez.

“There’s not one ounce of me that will say yes to any step aside to let any unification happen,” Catterall said on Inside The Ring.

“I’m here. I’ve been in this position before years back waiting for [Josh] Taylor for undisputed, and kept getting sidetracked. There’s not $1 that can persuade me to step aside to allow a unification bout. I’m here to fight.”