George Kambosos Jr. doesn’t get why he has to necessarily “run it back” with Teofimo Lopez.

The former unified lightweight champion from Australia is open to the idea of fighting Lopez again, but he resents the idea that a rematch must happen based on the notion that Lopez had an off night in their first fight.

Kambosos produced one of the more startling upsets in 2021, when he defeated Lopez, then the unified lightweight titlist, by split decision at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was subsequently reported that Lopez had a life threatening lung condition that night which hampered his performance.

In a recent interview, Kambosos repeatedly pushed back against that idea, saying he beat Lopez “fair and square.” Kambosos has since lost his belts to Devin Haney, while Lopez became a two-division champion after defeating Josh Taylor for the WBO 140-pound belt earlier this month. Lopez has indicated that he has now retired from the sport.

“It’s not no matter what,” Kambosos said of giving Lopez a rematch in an interview with Little Giant Boxing. “I beat him. I took his belt and I beat him. I beat him fair and square. The ball is in his court. If he wants to get it done and it makes sense, maybe he can come all the way to Australia. I went to his backyard. Or we can do it somewhere else, Greece. (Kambosos is of Greek descent.) We can do it.

“But I took that ‘W’, so I’m in no rush to fight him again. I didn’t lose to him, I beat him.”

“It’s different with Devin Haney,” Kambosos continued. “He beat me and I was down for the rematch, I wanted it straightaway, 'give it to me today.' That’s the kind of fighter I am.

"It’s up to [Lopez]. If they want it, his team or whatever, decide to push for it, then we can talk.”

Kambosos recently signed a deal with Lopez’s promoter, Top Rank. His first fight under the promotion will take place July 22 against Maxi Hughes.