After years of giving up size against naturally bigger lightweights, Vasiliy Lomachenko may finally be back in the division that best suits him physically, possibly moving up to 130 pounds now which opens the door to a quick fight against unified champion Emanuel Navarrete.
Lomachenko, 38, has not fought since stopping George Kambosos Jr. in May 2024 to take the IBF lightweight title. Since he let his Top Rank contract expire earlier this month, speculation has focused on a return later this year, with many expecting him to stay at lightweight to fight the 135’s biggest names.
The comments of WBO president Gustavo Olivieri may point in the other direction.
“Lomachenko is back, and if he wants to fight at 130lbs with Navarrete, I’m sure the WBO Executive Committee [will approve their fight].
“Because of his suitability for the job – [two-time] The Olympic [gold] medalist, multi-division champion, WBO heavyweight champion, future Hall of Famer – I’m sure the endorsement will be unanimous,” Olivieri said on social media.
The move to super featherweight would put Lomachenko much closer to the weight where many fans believe he looked his best early in his career. He started out as a featherweight at 126 and built his reputation there before moving up to compete in the major lightweights.
The size issue has been hard to ignore this late in his run at 135 years old. Lomachenko was still competitive, but he often looked physically small compared to the opponents he watered down to full size welterweight fighters on fight night.
Navarrete was yet to bring his physical problems. The Mexican is unusually tall and a super featherweight, and his lackluster style has troubled many opponents. At the same time, Navarrete has shown vulnerability to strikes and has occasionally carried a lighter weight in his middle between fights.
That could make the matchup more viable for Lomachenko than some of the bigger, smaller punchers who dominate the lightweight division.
Dropping down to 130 may say more about how Lomachenko sees himself at this stage of his career than any public statement.
WBO President Gustavo Olivieri emphasized that, if Team Loma legitimately wants a shot at Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, the matter will be considered at the Executive Committee given Lomachenko’s legacy as a WBO 3-Division World Champion and… pic.twitter.com/ZJy3qTcU3P
– WBO (@WorldBoxingOrg) May 21, 2026
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Last updated on 2026/05/24 at 5:19 PM
