Duva Unsure Whether Mohammedi Next For Kovalev

by David P. Greisman

Nadjib Mohammedi is the mandatory challenger to the International Boxing Federation belt previously held by Bernard Hopkins and now one of three titles owned by Sergey Kovalev. But the promoter the fighters share, Kathy Duva of Main Events, isn’t certain whether they’ll meet next.

“At this point I’m not positive. Too soon to say,” Duva said on a conference call. “We’ll know soon. Mohammedi is in the picture at some point, yes, but whether that’s next or whether there’s a way to do that somewhere after, we don’t know that. That’s what we’re working on.”

Mohammedi’s signing with Main Events was officially announced earlier this week. He became mandatory challenger when he stopped Anatoliy Dudchenko on a Main Events card in June. But when Hopkins signed for a unification bout, the IBF allowed him to push off the defense and face Kovalev.

“IBF rules don't allow Main Events to pay Nadjib Mohammedi step-aside money,” Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated tweeted earlier in the week. “But his cooperation will help if they try for [an] exception to take another fight.”

According to the IBF rules: “Boxers that step aside when in a mandatory position will not be considered the mandatory challenger and will be lowered in the ratings.”

Mohammedi took a keep-busy fight on the undercard of Kovalev-Hopkins, knocking out no-hoper Demetrius Walker in less than a round.

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