Vasiliy Lomachenko plans to return in November at 130 pounds. That gives the 38-year-old two fights before he even thinks about a title: getting through a comeback after two and a half years out, then proving he can still make a weight he last fought at in 2017.
“He’s coming back in November at 130 lbs,” broadcaster Brian Custer reported after speaking with Lomachenko in Puerto Rico.
Lomachenko has no announced opponent, date, or venue. His last fight was an 11th-round stoppage of George Kambosos Jr. at lightweight in May 2024. He retired the following year, but is now aiming to return to the division where he made Guillermo Rigondeaux quit on his stool nearly nine years ago.
Five pounds may sound like a small move. Making 130 at 38 after spending the rest of his career at lightweight is a different test. Lomachenko built his success on quick feet, sharp pivots and the ability to keep changing angles. The scale will tell us whether he can reach 130; the fight will tell us what the cut and the layoff have taken from his legs.
The timing also rules out an immediate November fight with the winner of Emanuel Navarrete and O’Shaquie Foster. They meet October 24 in a three-belt unification, leaving too little time for the winner to recover and turn around for Lomachenko. A separate comeback opponent is the realistic route if he fights in November.
Even after that, Charly Suarez stands between Lomachenko and a clear shot at the winner. The WBO approved Navarrete–Foster on the condition that the winner face its mandatory challenger within 180 days. Suarez has waited for that fight while Lomachenko has been out of the ring.
A manageable first opponent would let Lomachenko answer the weight and inactivity questions. It would not show that he is ready for Navarrete’s pressure or Foster’s counters. If the old footwork is still there, the title talk can start in earnest. November comes first.