Lopez (33-3, 19 KOs) dropped Daniel Lugo (28-5-1, 19 KOs) in the second and stopped him in the third round of a junior lightweight bout at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California, as the co-main event of a ProBox TV card.

Lopez got off to a hot start by busting Lugo's nose in the second and rocking him with a body shot in the waning seconds of the stanza. Lugo winced in pain and made it to the corner without eating another punch.

Sensing a wounded warrior was saved by the bell, Lopez dialed up the pressure in the third round with a relentless attack and a series of unanswered shots, forcing referee Ray Corona to stop the action at the 1:18 mark.

"El Venado" Lopez is now on a three-fight winning streak since getting brutally blasted out by Angelo Leo in the fourth defense of his 126-pound title in August 2024. Lopez suffered a brain bleed in the bout and has fought just four rounds in two fights since the loss.

Lugo, meanwhile, came in with credible experience at the world level, albeit with mixed results. He suffered a unanimous decision loss last time out against Edward Vazquez in June. He also fought to a majority draw against former world titleholder Mauricio Lara in February 2024 and a seventh-round stoppage loss against former title challenger Eduardo Hernandez in February 2024.