AMERICAโS Danny Jacobs will fight Sergey Derevyanchenko for the vacant IBF middleweight world title.
Itโs an excellent fight in a lively division with the Gennady Golovkin vs Canelo Alvarez rematch taking place in September. The IBF belt was stripped from Golovkin after he failed to agree to fight mandatory challenger Derevyanchenko. Jacobs acquitted himself well in a points loss to โGGGโ and will now face the strong, talented Derevyanchenko. They know each other well. The two are former sparring partners.
Derevyanchenko may just be 12-0 as a professional but he is a vastly experienced amateur and excelled in the pro-style World Series of Boxing format, so he has a host of five-rounders against elite opposition under his belt too.
Eddie Hearn, who promotes Jacobs, and Lou Dibella, who represents Derevyanchenko, have themselves engaged in some lively verbal sparring in the past but they have united to stage the fight in New York, with the precise date to be confirmed.
โAfter weeks of negotiating with my dear friend Lou Dibella – delighted to agree terms for Daniel Jacobs vs Derevenchenko for the IBF world title on HBO – date coming soon for NY,โ Hearn announced.
Dibella added, โSo Eddie Hearn and I closed a deal for one of the best fights that can be made in the middleweight division. Imagine that … Eddie and I co-promoting a big fight! Heโs still a cheeky little bastard, but I look forward to a big card … and some good, nasty back and forth.โ