Rolly Romero Trades the Bedroom for the Ring: One Year Celibate

Boxing champion Rolly Romero isn’t just training hard for his August 22 title defense against Teofimo Lopez in Las Vegas—he’s taken his fight prep to an extreme that goes well beyond the typical boxer’s regimen. The reigning champion revealed this week that he’s been abstaining from sex for over a year, specifically since June 4, 2025, driven not by performance science but by religious conviction.

“I haven’t had sex since June 4, 2025. Over a year. I gave up sex til marriage. My body reserved for my wife, that the Lord Jesus will deliver to me. I gave it up completely til marriage,”Romero told reporters at an event in Los Angeles. It’s a commitment that echoes similar declarations from other elite athletes—notably Conor McGregor, who recently announced his own sex ban ahead of his fight against Max Holloway, though McGregor’s motivation centers on athletic performance rather than faith.

What’s striking isn’t just Romero’s discipline, but the contrast with his opponent. Teofimo Lopez takes a far more measured approach, explaining that he partakes in intimacy but plans to hold off during the final two weeks before the fight. For Lopez, it’s tactical; for Romero, it’s spiritual. Both fighters understand that August 22 carries enormous stakes. Romero is defending his title for the first time after shocking Ryan Garcia with an upset victory last year, while Lopez is looking to reclaim his footing following a rare loss to Shakur Stevenson and walk out of the T-Mobile Arena with a championship belt.

The two competitors have been trading barbs throughout their buildup—including some creative trash talk over an alleged foot fetish—but their philosophies on preparation reveal different mindsets heading into one of boxing’s most compelling matchups. With just 40 days separating them from the ring, one fighter is banking on divine providence and bodily discipline, while the other is fine-tuning a more conventional game plan. Either way, they’ll both be ready to fight. The real question is whether Romero’s spiritual commitment will translate into the kind of focus that dethroned a favored opponent before, or whether Lopez’s pragmatic approach will prove the more effective strategy when the bell rings.