“Some business got in the way of us fighting before,” Roach to Fight Hub TV said when asked about a potential matchup with Foster. “And it’s really easy for him to make that fight. All he has to do is say he wants to move up. He’ll be the mandatory.”
Roach emphasized that the door remains open if Foster chooses to pursue opportunities at 135 pounds.
“For everybody listening, just know that’s all he has to do,” Roach said. “Literally, that’s all he has to do.”
The 29-year-old Roach also pushed back against suggestions that he had previously avoided a fight with Foster during their respective runs at junior lightweight.
“There’s not a time where we like, ‘No, we’re not fighting him. Get that off the table.’ Never,” Roach said. “Just the business wasn’t right.”
Roach explained that negotiations had previously explored the possibility of a title unification bout, but the talks ultimately failed to produce an agreement.
“If you want to say that I was lobbying for more money for me, then I’m lobbying for more money for him,” Roach said. “It’s a tighter unification. Come on now.”
Foster improved to 25-3 (12 KOs) with his victory over Ford, a performance that strengthened his standing among the sport’s top fighters at 130 pounds. Roach acknowledged that Foster showed qualities expected of an elite champion.
“He fought better than I thought he would,” Roach said. “He did a lot of things that a champion should do in the fight to secure the win. He showed championship pedigree.”
Before any future showdown can materialize, Roach must first handle his own business against Zepeda. The Washington, D.C. native has also mentioned the possibility of pursuing a unification bout with IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla should both emerge victorious on the August 1 card in Las Vegas.
