It was announced in Australia that Jeff Horn will defend his WBO welterweight title against England's Gary Corcoran (17-1, 7 KOs) in Brisbane on December 13.
News Corp Australia reported that the world champion boxer had locked in a two-fight deal with the State Government and Brisbane City Council.
For Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs), the Corcoran bout will be his first since a points decision win over eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao back in July before a crowd of 51,000 at the Suncorp Stadium.
The fight will be held at the Brisbane Convention Centre.
The Wednesday night fixture is thought to be most beneficial for pay television earnings.
“Corcoran is 26, so he’s three years younger than me — he’s very fit, strong and hungry,’’ Horn said.
“He’s a dangerous guy. I know what it’s like to be a determined underdog just like he is going into this fight. This is his golden opportunity to do what I did against Pacquiao but there are millions of dollars on offer for me with big fights in 2018 so I can’t let this guy come to my home town and wreck all my good work.’’
In a very odd bit of news, the reports in Australia suggest that Horn would like to face UFC superstar Conor McGregor in his next fight. McGregor made his pro boxing debut in August, when he was stopped in ten rounds by Floyd Mayweather Jr.
According to Top Rank, who have options on Horn, the next fight for him would come in March or April - either in a rematch with Pacquiao or a defense against Terence Crawford.
Pacquiao, who has the option of a rematch clause, was the original opponent for the fall, but he withdrew after citing conflicts with his political schedule.