Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) was left searching for answers as Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) routed him with a unanimous decision win in the main event of The Ring 6 card at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Each judge submitted a 119-109 score – 11 rounds to one – as Stevenson walked away with Lopez’s Ring and WBO junior welterweight titles in his division debut en route to becoming a four-weight champion.

“I was gambling, and the dealer didn't give me the right cards,” Lopez told The Stomping Ground after the fight. “I didn't fight too hard tonight. We got the decision that we got.

“I did poorly on not listening to my team. That's on me. My team did a phenomenal job. They had great guidelines and great instructions. I just didn't listen.”

Lopez had a difficult time escaping the southpaw Stevenson’s sharp jab, which sliced Lopez’s left eye. Stevenson landed a career-high 105 jabs, the most landed on Lopez by any opponent, according to CompuBox.

Stevenson landed a total of 165 punches, while Lopez landed 72 despite throwing nearly a hundred more. Of the 72 punches landed by Lopez, 59 were to Stevenson’s body.

“I knew about the jab. I just took myself out of the distance. I was playing too much of his game,” said Lopez. “I was too focused on one particular objective rather than really enjoying what I could see opening. I was catching him with body shots a lot. I think that was one thing effective in my arsenal that was getting him every time. [I should have thrown] more combinations, especially finishing with the left hook.”

Lopez was also incredibly hard on himself while assessing his performance.

“I hate myself for it, but it's just a part of life,” said Lopez. “I grew up hard and tough. I am always hard on myself because of it. But I am in a good position to be here and take it on the chin like a true champ. … We'll go back to the drawing board to see where we go, if I move up, where we go next. We'll definitely be back in some way, some form.”

Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.