The show must go on for Luis Alberto Lopez.

Seven months after suffering a brutal one-punch knockout loss to Angelo Leo that resulted in a brain bleed, former IBF featherweight champion "Venado" Lopez (30-3, 17 KOs) returns to the ring on March 29 in a 10-round contest against Eduardo Montoya (21-7-1, 14 KOs) in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico.

Lopez was hospitalized due to the career-threatening injury following the August 10 contest, a competitive clash that abruptly ended the featherweight titlist's reign.

"We've made several MRIs during these past months with my doctors and everything is great," Lopez told The Ring last month. "I know the knockdown looked really shocking on TV. I don't take credit away from Leo, but I was completely exhausted, altitude plus recovery and a good punch was a great combo for him."

"No effects at all ... you guys will watch a completely different Venado Lopez. We have to learn from mistakes and come back stronger than ever. I'm ready to get my title back at any cost, every time I had a loss, Venado Lopez has come stronger, so be ready. I'm sure any fighter can have a bad night, and that day was mine but I'm really focused on coming back and this is going to be my year."

Lopez, 31, won the 126-pound title in 2022 by a majority decision win against Josh Warrington and knocked out Michael Conlan in 2023. Successful title defenses followed against Joet Gonzalez and Reiya Abe before Lopez met his match in Leo, who landed 203 punches in 10 rounds against Lopez.

Lopez was down a point on two of the scorecards and up one point on the other at the time of the stoppage.

Lopez's upcoming opponent Montoya is a 31-year-old who's fought just twice in the last five years. He's previously lost to the likes of Miguel Marriaga and Mark Magsayo.