Undefeated world champion Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico today signed to extend his promotional contract with Top Rank.

Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank, made the announcement.

Juanma Lopez, 26, is a rising star with a record of 26-0, 24 KOs. He is the WBO Junior Featherweight champion and is 5-0 with five knockouts in world title bouts.  Lopez has an impressive combination of size, skill, strength, speed, power and poise in the ring with an extensive amateur background that began at the age of 10 and progressed to the highest levels.

Lopez was named the 2008 'Puerto Rico Fighter of the Year.'  He is next scheduled to fight on October 10, taking on tough challenger Rogers Mtagwa of Philadelphia on a Top Rank championship fight card at the WAMU Theatre inside Madison Square Garden in New York City.

DuBoef said "there is a great lineage of Puerto Rico superstars - Wilfredo Gomez, Tito Trinidad and Miguel Cotto. It is a pleasure that that Juanma and Top Rank will work together to get him to become one of the greatest of all-time on the island.

"Juanma has had a meteoric rise in his first five years. We believe Juanma's future is very bright for him and for the sport of boxing on the island," duBoef said.