Lomachenko Skips Tune-Up, Eyes Foster Clash in 2027

Vasiliy Lomachenko plans to skip a comeback tune-up fight and go straight for O'Shaquie Foster in a bid to become undisputed at 130 pounds when he returns in 2027. Lomachenko, who has not fought since May 2024, told DAZN he intends to drop back to super featherweight and target whoever held the belts at 130, a spot Foster has since claimed outright by outpointing Emanuel Navarrete to collect the WBC, IBF and WBO titles.

Why Skipping A Tune-Up Is Such A Gamble

Lomachenko has not made 130 pounds since stopping Guillermo Rigondeaux on his stool back in December 2017, when he was 29 years old. He turns 39 in February and will have been out of the ring for close to three years by the time any Foster fight could happen. Most fighters coming off a layoff that long, let alone one that includes a weight drop, take at least one tune-up to find their legs and check the scale. Lomachenko wants to bypass that entirely and walk straight into a title unification against a champion in his prime. Even Lomachenko sounded uncertain about his own body, saying, "During the preparation, it looks very good, but nobody knows what will happen after another month or two of preparation."

What Makes Foster Such A Tough Comeback Opponent

O'Shaquie Foster is not a soft re-entry point. His win over Navarrete leaned on lateral movement, slick counterpunching and the kind of defensive elusiveness that frustrates fighters trying to find a rhythm. That is a nightmare matchup for a 39-year-old coming off a 33-month layoff who built his career on tempo and volume rather than knockout power. Lomachenko's whole style depends on getting comfortable early and picking apart an opponent's patterns over several rounds. Foster, by contrast, is built to deny exactly that kind of rhythm from the opening bell. It is also worth noting Foster holds three of the four belts at 130, with the WBA title held elsewhere, so the division's title picture could still shift before any fight is made official.

Betting Angle

No odds exist yet since this fight is not booked, but the betting market will treat this as a high-variance proposition the moment it does get made. Lomachenko's name still carries weight with sportsbooks and oddsmakers tend to respect elite technical skill even through long absences, so he likely would not be a big underdog on name value alone. But sharp bettors will zero in on ring rust and the weight cut as the two biggest swing factors. A fighter skipping a tune-up after nearly three years away, moving down in weight for the first time in a decade, against a rangy titleholder who thrives on movement, is exactly the kind of spot where the betting markets could get mispriced early and then move hard once fight week physicals and sparring reports start to circulate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Vasiliy Lomachenko fighting O'Shaquie Foster?

No fight is finalized, but Vasiliy Lomachenko has said he wants to target O'Shaquie Foster directly when he returns to boxing in 2027, skipping a tune-up bout.

When did Vasiliy Lomachenko last fight?

Vasiliy Lomachenko last fought in May 2024, when he stopped George Kambosos Jr. in Australia to win the IBF lightweight title.

What titles does O'Shaquie Foster hold?

O'Shaquie Foster holds the WBC, IBF and WBO super featherweight titles after outpointing Emanuel Navarrete, with the WBA belt held separately.